Baldwin climate

Baldwin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bismarck 2.4 Nnw, 21.8 km from Baldwin, elevation 1831 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bismarck 2.4 Nnw. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 9

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 2May 29May 25May 22May 20May 17May 14May 12May 8
32°FMay 23May 18May 14May 12May 10May 8May 5May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 13May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
24°FMay 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
20°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
16°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 20

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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
24°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
20°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
16°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18

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°F142136131127123120115111105
32°F159153148145142139135130124
28°F179173169165161157153148140
24°F197190186181177173169165158
20°F214208203200196191188183177
16°F232226220216213209205199193

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
8,641
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
407
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,948
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,995
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,158
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,443
Growing degree days, base 60°F
857

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,61300
February1,34700
March1,12406
April702028
May34013190
June9162424
July16168617
August42131553
September22132281
October636257
November1,05902
December1,45100

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 21.8 km from Baldwin. 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 USC00320817 (Bismarck 2.4 Nnw). Public domain.