Noble County climate

Noble County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Caldwell 3SE, 5.6 km from Noble County, elevation 880 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Caldwell 3SE. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 27

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 29May 23May 19May 16May 12May 8May 5Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 20May 13May 8May 5Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 21Apr 15
28°FMay 8Apr 30Apr 26Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 1
24°FApr 23Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
20°FApr 9Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 10
16°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 26

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 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Nov 1
28°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 21
20°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 6
16°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 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°F168160154150145140136130122
32°F190183176172167163158152145
28°F214206201196191186180174167
24°F235229223219215211205200192
20°F260252246242237232228223215
16°F285277270265260255250245236

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
5,527
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
657
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,329
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,100
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,016
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,077
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,281

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11104
February93004
March764035
April4195137
May18143336
June33132549
July5217677
August10185640
September8864428
October36912168
November671028
December94709

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 5.6 km from Noble County. 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 USC00331175 (Caldwell 3SE). Public domain.