Horace climate

Horace Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fargo 3S, 11.3 km from Horace, elevation 908 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fargo 3S. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 12

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 26May 23May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 6May 2
32°FMay 18May 13May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 23
16°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15

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 12Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
24°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 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°F149143139135132128124120114
32°F167162158154151147143139133
28°F188181177173170166163158152
24°F210202196192188184180176169
20°F226220214210206201197193185
16°F242235230225221218214208201

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
9,012
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
453
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,107
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,160
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,319
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,576
Growing degree days, base 60°F
949

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,77900
February1,49500
March1,21501
April701031
May30022226
June5391487
July11183637
August20133578
September19023294
October629159
November1,07707
December1,54200

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 11.3 km from Horace. 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 USC00322860 (Fargo 3S). Public domain.