Shattuck climate

Shattuck Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gage AP, 10.5 km from Shattuck, elevation 2191 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gage 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first October 29

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 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
28°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
24°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 6
20°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 22Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 24Feb 19Feb 12

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 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
24°FOct 21Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
16°FNov 6Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 6Dec 14

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°F185179175171167163160155148
32°F206198193189185181177172165
28°F228220214209205200196192184
24°F251242237231226221216209202
20°F272263258253247242237230222
16°F296285278273268262258250243

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
4,025
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,916
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,570
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,151
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,876
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,748
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,765

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January882010
February701129
March48711129
April24342282
May70164561
June3377823
July0527992
August0482947
September29252674
October21756330
November538487
December855012

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 10.5 km from Shattuck. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00013975 (Gage AP). Public domain.