Barnes County climate

Barnes County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Valley City 3 Nnw, 4.5 km from Barnes County, elevation 1210 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Valley City 3 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 13 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 22, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 5

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 4May 31May 28May 25May 22May 20May 17May 14May 11
32°FMay 25May 22May 18May 15May 13May 11May 8May 5May 2
28°FMay 17May 13May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 21
24°FMay 10May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
20°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3
16°FApr 24Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24

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 6Sep 10Sep 13Sep 15Sep 17Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28
32°FSep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
28°FSep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
24°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
20°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
16°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16

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°F13312812412011611310910599
32°F153147143139136132129124118
28°F172166162158155152148144137
24°F192186181177174170167162156
20°F211206201196193189185180174
16°F229222217213210206202196190

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
9,285
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
399
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,825
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,905
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,097
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,400
Growing degree days, base 60°F
828

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,76700
February1,47700
March1,23701
April737025
May35115190
June8882445
July27154592
August51116530
September24030264
October655150
November1,10101
December1,55300

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 4.5 km from Barnes County. 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 USC00328937 (Valley City 3 Nnw). Public domain.