Minden climate

Minden Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Minden, 1.9 km from Minden, elevation 2160 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Minden. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 168 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 21

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 16May 11May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
20°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10
16°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 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 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
28°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
24°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
20°FOct 22Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16Nov 22
16°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 2

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°F169163159156153149146141136
32°F188181176172168165160156149
28°F208202197193189185180175169
24°F227220215210206202198193186
20°F244237232226222218215208201
16°F264257251246240235230224216

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
6,241
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
994
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,467
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,314
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,292
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,395
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,629

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24500
February1,01503
March802028
April4686113
May19553339
June25208633
July3339801
August8269725
September97110469
October41711159
November801021
December1,16701

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 1.9 km from Minden. 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 USC00255565 (Minden). Public domain.