Pembina climate

Pembina Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pembina, 0.6 km from Pembina, elevation 790 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pembina. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last May 5, 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 7Jun 3May 31May 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 11
32°FMay 31May 25May 21May 18May 16May 13May 9May 5May 2
28°FMay 21May 16May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
24°FMay 12May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
20°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
16°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24

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 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 11
28°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21
24°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
20°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
16°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20

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°F13512812412011611310910497
32°F155149145141137132128123117
28°F177170165160155151146141135
24°F198191185181177172168162155
20°F214208203198194190186181173
16°F230223220215211207202196190

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
9,968
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
326
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,614
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,729
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,950
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,278
Growing degree days, base 60°F
726

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,89200
February1,59200
March1,32801
April767023
May37714179
June10471420
July36128556
August6293496
September26820235
October709137
November1,17601
December1,65700

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 Pembina. 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 USW00014924 (Pembina). Public domain.