Gothenburg climate

Gothenburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gothenburg, 1.3 km from Gothenburg, elevation 2603 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gothenburg. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 30, 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 24May 19May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
28°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 3
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
20°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4

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 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
24°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
20°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27

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°F161155152148144141136132126
32°F179173169164162158155150143
28°F200193189185181177172167161
24°F221213207203199195191186177
20°F241233227222218213208202196
16°F260252246240236231226219212

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
6,008
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
954
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,447
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,264
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,229
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,336
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,580

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16400
February97003
March752031
April4624107
May19650335
June26197621
July2328790
August8267724
September99100456
October4207145
November788017
December1,12200

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 1.3 km from Gothenburg. 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 USC00253365 (Gothenburg). Public domain.