Ceresco climate

Ceresco Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Raymond 2E, 14.2 km from Ceresco, elevation 1283 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Raymond 2E. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around April 22 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 24

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 13May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9
28°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17
20°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18
32°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26
28°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F173167164160157154150146140
32°F194187183178175171167163156
28°F212205200197193189185180174
24°F232225220215212207202198191
20°F251244239234229224219215207
16°F270263256251246241237231222

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
6,347
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
972
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,467
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,322
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,300
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,398
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,621

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31100
February1,07101
March821136
April4635116
May17955354
June18194625
July4331792
August7267725
September93106466
October40213168
November801016
December1,17800

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 14.2 km from Ceresco. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00257055 (Raymond 2E). Public domain.