Freeman climate

Freeman Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Menno, 17 km from Freeman, elevation 1332 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Menno. 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 4, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 13

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°FMay 24May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 14May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
20°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
16°FApr 10Apr 5Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8

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 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
24°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 5
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 25

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°F156150145142139136132127122
32°F174168164160156152148143137
28°F195188183179175170167162154
24°F214207202198193189185180173
20°F233226220216212207203198190
16°F250243238233229225220214207

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
6,980
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
892
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,194
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,100
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,118
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,254
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,508

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,42100
February1,15501
March898123
April5016104
May19957339
June27198621
July5298758
August12225677
September11197442
October45210140
November894014
December1,30300

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 17 km from Freeman. 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 USC00395481 (Menno). Public domain.