Elgin climate

Elgin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elgin, 0.9 km from Elgin, elevation 1935 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elgin. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 19

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 21May 16May 13May 10May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
28°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 15
16°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8

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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11
32°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16Nov 21
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29

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°F160154150146143139136132126
32°F180174170165162158155150144
28°F201194189185181178173168160
24°F220213207203200196192187180
20°F237230225220216211207203197
16°F254247241238234230225218210

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
6,815
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
772
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,012
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,906
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,925
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,074
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,356

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32700
February1,10202
March895120
April535486
May23242300
June38167579
July7269727
August16205654
September12977407
October4616131
November851019
December1,22401

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 0.9 km from Elgin. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00252595 (Elgin). Public domain.