LaMoure climate

LaMoure Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Moure, 0.6 km from LaMoure, elevation 1334 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Moure. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 140 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 6

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

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 8Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19
24°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 25Oct 30
20°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
16°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F139134130126122119115111105
32°F157152147144140137132128122
28°F176170165161157154151147140
24°F196190185180176173169164157
20°F215209204200196192188182175
16°F234226221216212208203198192

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
8,747
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
525
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,173
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,212
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,365
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,630
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,010

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,70200
February1,41000
March1,15603
April671141
May31023228
June69108490
July18199646
August30151586
September20441305
October618364
November1,05902
December1,50000

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 0.6 km from LaMoure. 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 USC00324937 (La Moure). Public domain.