Van Etten climate

Van Etten Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Spencer 1 Ne, 7.3 km from Van Etten, elevation 1170 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Spencer 1 Ne. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 16

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

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 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4
32°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 19
28°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29Nov 3
24°FOct 12Oct 19Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 8Nov 13
20°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10

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°F139133128124120116113108102
32°F162156151147143139135130124
28°F189182176171166163157152144
24°F214207202198194189184179171
20°F238231227223219216212207200
16°F260253248243239235230226221

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
7,358
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
314
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,995
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,961
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,072
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,327
Growing degree days, base 60°F
729

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31700
February1,14500
March1,04904
April654239
May33513184
June11256396
July31113547
August45107527
September18823295
October528171
November81909
December1,13502

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 7.3 km from Van Etten. 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 USC00308086 (Spencer 1 Ne). Public domain.