Paxton climate

Paxton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kingsley Dam, 28 km from Paxton, elevation 3318 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kingsley Dam. 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 18, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first October 26

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 12May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8
28°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
20°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4
16°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 23

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28
28°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 3Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 11

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°F172167163160156152148143137
32°F194188183180176172167163157
28°F218210204200196192188183177
24°F238229224218213209204199191
20°F258250244238234229223216209
16°F280271265259253247241235227

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
6,273
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
857
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,152
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,012
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,020
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,167
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,448

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17800
February99801
March800020
April525279
May24934281
June40158569
July4311772
August11256710
September11390436
October4535133
November795017
December1,10701

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 28 km from Paxton. 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 USC00254455 (Kingsley Dam). Public domain.