Cave Junction climate

Cave Junction Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cave Junction 1 Wnw, 0.6 km from Cave Junction, elevation 1377 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cave Junction 1 Wnw. 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 May 1 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 161 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 2

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°FJun 17Jun 11Jun 6Jun 2May 28May 23May 18May 13May 5
32°FMay 23May 14May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20Apr 14
28°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 17Mar 4
24°FMar 31Mar 20Mar 9Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14Feb 1Jan 17Jan 2
20°FFeb 16Feb 1Jan 22Jan 13Jan 5Dec 31Dec 21Dec 10Nov 27
16°FJan 21Jan 13Jan 6Jan 2Dec 29Dec 21Dec 12Dec 3Nov 20

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 7Sep 12Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 9
32°FSep 23Sep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21Oct 26Nov 2
28°FOct 12Oct 20Oct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7Nov 15Nov 24Dec 6
24°FOct 26Nov 3Nov 12Nov 20Nov 27Dec 4Dec 15Dec 29Jan 12
20°FNov 5Nov 17Nov 28Dec 4Dec 14Dec 24Jan 2Jan 10Jan 27
16°FNov 13Nov 29Dec 4Dec 13Dec 21Dec 28Jan 2Jan 9Jan 15

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°F14513512912311811310610092
32°F189181173168161156151142133
28°F251237226218210202195188179
24°F337316305294283270257245230
20°F365365365359350338329315305
16°F365365365365365365365357341

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
65% of years
16°F or colder
28% 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
4,323
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
656
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,634
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,158
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,951
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,990
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,232

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January75304
February589010
March549035
April4011102
May21021283
June8080450
July6256715
August7212670
September6182471
October3045186
November585022
December77704

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 0.6 km from Cave Junction. 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 USC00351448 (Cave Junction 1 Wnw). Public domain.