Elgin climate

Elgin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elgin, 0.6 km from Elgin, elevation 2697 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elgin. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around September 18, a growing season of about 114 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 24, first September 18
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 1

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 21Jun 11Jun 3May 30May 24May 19May 14May 9May 1
28°FMay 24May 15May 11May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
24°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 23Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25
20°FApr 13Apr 4Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2
16°FMar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 22Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4

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°F–––––––––
32°FSep 1Sep 5Sep 10Sep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 25Sep 29Oct 3
28°FSep 13Sep 19Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 17
24°FSep 28Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 2
20°FOct 11Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 5Nov 11Nov 19Nov 25
16°FOct 24Nov 1Nov 6Nov 14Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 5Dec 13

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°F968882777165595144
32°F1411321261201141091039382
28°F172164159154149144139131120
24°F213202195190184179173166156
20°F257246238233227220214206198
16°F301289281274268261255248236

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
6,400
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
258
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,900
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,777
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,871
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,154
Growing degree days, base 60°F
615

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02300
February84700
March75504
April566033
May3375168
June17626304
July51106521
August60100506
September20420275
October530055
November80105
December1,05100

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 Elgin. 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 USC00352597 (Elgin). Public domain.