Star Lake climate

Star Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wanakena Rngr School, 10.6 km from Star Lake, elevation 1510 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wanakena Rngr School. 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 May 18 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 132 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 15
Median at 32°F
last May 18, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 8

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°FJun 14Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 24May 20May 14
32°FJun 2May 29May 25May 22May 18May 14May 10May 6May 1
28°FMay 23May 17May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
24°FMay 13May 6May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
20°FMay 1Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
16°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25

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°FAug 30Sep 4Sep 8Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 22Sep 26Oct 1
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 23Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19Oct 25
24°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5
20°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15
16°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28

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°F129122118113109104999485
32°F154146140135132127122117111
28°F178170165160156151146139133
24°F204195189184179175170163154
20°F222215210206202198194188179
16°F240233228224220217213207200

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
8,231
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
301
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,821
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,850
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,005
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,285
Growing degree days, base 60°F
705

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49301
February1,30900
March1,19002
April697241
May34714184
June11759395
July42107530
August6188491
September21730283
October578370
November90507
December1,27601

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 10.6 km from Star Lake. 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 USC00308944 (Wanakena Rngr School). Public domain.