Willowick climate

Willowick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kirtland-Holden 2, 14.2 km from Willowick, elevation 1030 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kirtland-Holden 2. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 184 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 17
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 10

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 24May 19May 14May 10May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 23
32°FMay 14May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19
20°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9
16°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 3Feb 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°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Nov 1
32°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
28°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
24°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
20°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19
16°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 16Dec 20Dec 25Dec 30

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°F183176170165161157152147141
32°F205199193188184180175169163
28°F233225219214210206202197191
24°F255247241237233229224218211
20°F276268263258254248243238230
16°F297289283279274270266259251

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
6,135
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
686
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,085
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,930
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,913
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,022
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,276

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19601
February1,03202
March888124
April5176103
May23041296
June58139531
July9226682
August16182631
September9679436
October37812168
November690034
December1,02405

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 14.2 km from Willowick. 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 USC00334260 (Kirtland-Holden 2). Public domain.