Sturgis climate

Sturgis Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Meade, 2.6 km from Sturgis, elevation 3308 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Meade. 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 3, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 28, 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 31May 27May 24May 21May 19May 16May 14May 10May 6
32°FMay 21May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
24°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21
16°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15Mar 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 11Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 19Sep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FSep 27Oct 2Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15
16°FOct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19Nov 23

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°F145139135131127124121116109
32°F166160154151147143139134128
28°F188181176171167162158153147
24°F207201196191187184180175166
20°F227219214209205200196191184
16°F246238231226221217212207199

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
6,780
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
691
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,744
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,634
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,685
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,882
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,216

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19701
February1,04003
March879018
April582264
May31718213
June7798473
July10262717
August19228675
September14579397
October5155108
November858015
December1,14201

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 2.6 km from Sturgis. 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 USC00393069 (Ft Meade). Public domain.