North climate

North Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for N 5NE, 8.2 km from North, elevation 322 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for N 5NE. 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 March 26 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 227 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 13, first November 16

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°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
32°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 8
28°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22
24°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14Feb 8Jan 31
20°FMar 7Feb 28Feb 20Feb 11Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 19Jan 5
16°FFeb 27Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 28Jan 22Jan 15Jan 8Dec 31

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 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
32°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20
28°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 8
24°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3Dec 9Dec 20Dec 29Jan 9
20°FNov 26Dec 4Dec 16Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 19Feb 1
16°FDec 15Dec 28Jan 3Jan 8Jan 13Jan 17Jan 24Jan 31Feb 11

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°F228221215211207203199195188
32°F250242236231227222217211204
28°F279269261255249244238232224
24°F321308297290283276269261249
20°F362346335328319311302293280
16°F365365365364354344335328313

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
92% of years
16°F or colder
61% 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
2,514
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,182
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,893
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,228
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,709
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,358
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,184

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January595279
February454177
March32819214
April11157399
May20223668
June0436886
July05441,009
August0493958
September7308751
October10982442
November37118148
December520179

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 8.2 km from North. 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 USC00386299 (N 5NE). Public domain.