Enderlin climate

Enderlin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Enderlin 2W, 3 km from Enderlin, elevation 1164 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Enderlin 2W. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 15

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°FMay 25May 21May 17May 14May 12May 9May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 16May 12May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 22Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 22
16°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13

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 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 9
32°FSep 23Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
24°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4Nov 8
20°FOct 19Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16
16°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24

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°F154148143140137133129125117
32°F174167162159155151147143136
28°F194188182178173169163159153
24°F212207201197192189184178170
20°F231223217213209205201196187
16°F246238233230225221216211205

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
7,970
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
740
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,748
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,726
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,809
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,999
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,308

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,61500
February1,34000
March1,07707
April587267
May22441306
June40160570
July8256713
August15200649
September13775396
October525696
November97405
December1,42700

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 3 km from Enderlin. 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 USC00322695 (Enderlin 2W). Public domain.