Cardington climate

Cardington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Marion Muni AP, 19.3 km from Cardington, elevation 994 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Marion Muni AP. 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 April 24 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 31

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 19May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22
32°FMay 10May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 6
16°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 12
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 23

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°F175168164160157152148143136
32°F197191186182178174170165159
28°F221214209205201197193188181
24°F245237232227222219215210204
20°F268260255250245239235229221
16°F292284277271266261255249240

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
5,901
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
779
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,349
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,161
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,109
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,194
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,414

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18902
February1,00005
March822130
April4546118
May17756355
June28173595
July4252713
August8199656
September9780436
October38213164
November711030
December1,03106

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 19.3 km from Cardington. 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 USW00004855 (Marion Muni AP). Public domain.