Woodfield climate

Woodfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, 9.9 km from Woodfield, elevation 440 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sandhill Rsch - 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 March 22 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 3, first November 4
Median at 32°F
last March 22, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last March 8, first November 30

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 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16
32°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
28°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 14
24°FMar 17Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 20
20°FMar 6Feb 26Feb 16Feb 7Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 16Jan 6
16°FFeb 27Feb 9Feb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 20Jan 14Jan 8Jan 1

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 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 19
32°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 28Dec 4
28°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15Dec 28
24°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 16
20°FDec 7Dec 16Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 16Jan 22Feb 1
16°FDec 24Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 15Jan 19Jan 26Feb 1Feb 12

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°F238229223219214209205201195
32°F265256250244239234229222214
28°F299287278272267259252245235
24°F334323312306299292285276264
20°F365353344337330322314305293
16°F365365365365362351341333315

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
85% of years
16°F or colder
52% 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
2,573
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,076
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,744
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,098
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,593
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,254
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,079

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January627155
February476274
March33516204
April12372405
May22217661
June1395844
July0515979
August0465930
September7292735
October10685448
November33612177
December540481

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 9.9 km from Woodfield. 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 USC00387666 (Sandhill Rsch - Elgin). Public domain.