Onida climate

Onida Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Onida 4 Nw, 7.2 km from Onida, elevation 1851 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Onida 4 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 11

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 29May 25May 22May 19May 17May 14May 11May 8May 4
32°FMay 22May 17May 14May 10May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
28°FMay 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14
24°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
20°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 22
16°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11

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 11Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 6
32°FSep 19Sep 23Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
24°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 4
20°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
16°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 22

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°F147141137133130126123118113
32°F165159154151147143139134128
28°F183177173169165161157152145
24°F205198193188184180175170162
20°F223215210205201197193189181
16°F243236230225220215211206197

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
7,660
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
782
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,756
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,720
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,802
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,004
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,329

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,48900
February1,23301
March985011
April587264
May27227256
June55133529
July8298755
August17235683
September14382399
October538598
November96206
December1,37200

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 7.2 km from Onida. 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 USC00396292 (Onida 4 Nw). Public domain.