New Richmond climate

New Richmond Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chilo Meldahl Locks & Dam, 19.2 km from New Richmond, elevation 480 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chilo Meldahl Locks & Dam. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 196 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 9

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 14May 8May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
32°FMay 4Apr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2
28°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19
24°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6
20°FMar 29Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27Feb 19
16°FMar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13Feb 6

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°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
32°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24
24°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
20°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 23Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23
16°FNov 22Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 10

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°F194187182178174170165160154
32°F215209205200196191187181175
28°F243233228223218214209205197
24°F268260253249243238232225218
20°F293285279273267261255249239
16°F319308302296291286280273262

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
4,783
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,126
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,258
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,942
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,769
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,742
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,862

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02107
February83407
March672148
April35111174
May11775426
June15220655
July0337801
August2306769
September38153566
October26524251
November593053
December874012

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 19.2 km from New Richmond. 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 USC00331536 (Chilo Meldahl Locks & Dam). Public domain.