Wausa climate

Wausa Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Osmond, 16.5 km from Wausa, elevation 1650 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Osmond. 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 6, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 17

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

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 16Sep 20Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10
32°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
28°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 29
24°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
20°FOct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
16°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24

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°F160155150147143140136132126
32°F179172168164160156153147141
28°F197191186182178174169165158
24°F216209204200197192188183177
20°F234227220217212209205200194
16°F251243238233229224220215208

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
6,983
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
850
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,081
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,995
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,026
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,174
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,444

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38500
February1,13901
March902015
April528688
May20748321
June32182600
July4301762
August13224676
September12182417
October4637131
November903015
December1,28500

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 16.5 km from Wausa. 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 USC00256395 (Osmond). Public domain.