Faulkton climate

Faulkton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Faulkton 1 Nw, 0.8 km from Faulkton, elevation 1597 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Faulkton 1 Nw. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 6

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 2May 29May 26May 23May 21May 18May 15May 12May 8
32°FMay 25May 21May 17May 13May 10May 8May 5May 2Apr 29
28°FMay 16May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
24°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10
20°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Mar 31
16°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17

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 8Sep 12Sep 16Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11
28°FSep 20Sep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20
24°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28
20°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
16°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18

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°F139133129126122119116111105
32°F156151146143139135132128121
28°F175169164161156152148143137
24°F195188183178174170166160151
20°F215207202197192188184179171
16°F234227221216212207203198190

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
8,205
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
586
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,361
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,369
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,492
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,730
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,091

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,57500
February1,30600
March1,08006
April643151
May30322234
June70106487
July16219668
August28179615
September18156342
October583483
November1,00706
December1,41400

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 0.8 km from Faulkton. 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 USC00392927 (Faulkton 1 Nw). Public domain.