Upper Sandusky climate

Upper Sandusky Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Upper Sandusky, 0.7 km from Upper Sandusky, elevation 854 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Upper Sandusky. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 28

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 23May 18May 14May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 24
32°FMay 14May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
20°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 8
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Feb 27

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 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
28°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 24
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22

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°F171164159155152147143138132
32°F191184180175171167162157149
28°F215208202197193188184179170
24°F238230225220215211207200190
20°F264254247243238233228224216
16°F288279272267262257250245236

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
6,160
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
779
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,217
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,064
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,045
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,155
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,393

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23301
February1,04101
March864123
April4847107
May20053333
June35174589
July5248708
August11197651
September9687443
October39512159
November731026
December1,06503

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 0.7 km from Upper Sandusky. 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 USC00338534 (Upper Sandusky). Public domain.