Oakes climate

Oakes Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oakes, 0.8 km from Oakes, elevation 1324 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oakes. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 144 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last April 30, 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FJun 3May 29May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 10May 6
32°FMay 21May 16May 13May 10May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
24°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
20°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 29
16°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17

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 6Sep 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 12
28°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21
24°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
20°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
16°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19

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°F143137132128124120116112104
32°F161155151147144141137132124
28°F179173168164160157152148142
24°F200194188184180176171166160
20°F219212207203199196192186180
16°F235228223219215211208202196

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
8,963
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
485
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,070
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,122
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,285
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,559
Growing degree days, base 60°F
951

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,72500
February1,43800
March1,17803
April704034
May31322225
June7893466
July17194642
August37140567
September21736288
October630259
November1,10101
December1,52500

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 0.8 km from Oakes. 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 USC00326620 (Oakes). Public domain.