Ward County climate

Ward County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Minot Exp Stn, 18.8 km from Ward County, elevation 1769 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Minot Exp Stn. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 22, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 5

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 30May 27May 24May 22May 19May 17May 13May 10
32°FMay 26May 21May 18May 15May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1
28°FMay 16May 12May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 23Apr 18
24°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
20°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
16°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 22

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 5Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
24°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29
20°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
16°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14

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°F136130126122119116111107101
32°F153147143139136132128124118
28°F173166162158154150147142136
24°F194187182177173169165159152
20°F210204199194190186182176170
16°F225218213209205200196192184

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
9,388
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
344
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,684
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,776
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,978
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,298
Growing degree days, base 60°F
746

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,71700
February1,44800
March1,23401
April752127
May37711174
June11356396
July36132561
August58118526
September26326246
October700144
November1,13703
December1,55500

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 18.8 km from Ward County. 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 USC00325993 (Minot Exp Stn). Public domain.