Berthold Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Foxholm 7 N. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 138 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 20, first September 20
- Median at 32°F
- last May 11, first September 29
- Median at 28°F
- last May 2, first October 7
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 12 | May 31 | May 27 | May 23 | May 20 | May 17 | May 14 | May 10 | May 6 |
| 32°F | May 29 | May 22 | May 17 | May 14 | May 11 | May 8 | May 5 | May 2 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | May 20 | May 13 | May 8 | May 5 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 23 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | May 8 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Apr 29 | Apr 24 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Apr 20 | Apr 14 | Apr 11 | Apr 7 | Apr 5 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 21 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 4 | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 |
| 32°F | Sep 13 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 |
| 28°F | Sep 21 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 16°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 141 | 134 | 130 | 126 | 122 | 117 | 112 | 105 | 94 |
| 32°F | 158 | 152 | 147 | 143 | 138 | 134 | 130 | 124 | 115 |
| 28°F | 178 | 171 | 166 | 162 | 157 | 153 | 149 | 143 | 134 |
| 24°F | 198 | 191 | 186 | 181 | 177 | 173 | 168 | 162 | 153 |
| 20°F | 216 | 209 | 204 | 200 | 196 | 192 | 188 | 182 | 172 |
| 16°F | 232 | 225 | 220 | 216 | 212 | 208 | 204 | 199 | 191 |
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
- 8,782
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 514
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,129
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,171
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,327
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,600
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 990
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,657 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,393 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,155 | 0 | 4 |
| April | 688 | 0 | 35 |
| May | 322 | 18 | 213 |
| June | 77 | 81 | 457 |
| July | 19 | 189 | 635 |
| August | 28 | 181 | 618 |
| September | 213 | 43 | 303 |
| October | 640 | 2 | 57 |
| November | 1,083 | 0 | 4 |
| December | 1,510 | 0 | 0 |
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 20.3 km from Berthold. 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 USC00323217 (Foxholm 7 N). Public domain.