Cando climate

Cando Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Leeds, 27.5 km from Cando, elevation 1530 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Leeds. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 133 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 18
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 4

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 4Jun 1May 29May 26May 24May 21May 18May 15May 12
32°FMay 27May 23May 20May 17May 15May 13May 10May 7May 3
28°FMay 19May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 21
24°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
20°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 3
16°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27

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 4Sep 9Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 29
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7
28°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
24°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 27
20°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
16°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13

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°F13212712211911611210910498
32°F150144139136133129125120114
28°F169163158155151147144140133
24°F190183177173169166161157150
20°F209202197192188184179175168
16°F224217213209206202197192186

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
9,843
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
307
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,551
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,671
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,890
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,220
Growing degree days, base 60°F
685

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,81200
February1,52900
March1,30700
April779023
May38810168
June11264404
July42123546
August6989486
September27520226
October723036
November1,18301
December1,62400

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 27.5 km from Cando. 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 USC00325078 (Leeds). Public domain.