Wagner climate

Wagner Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wagner, 0.5 km from Wagner, elevation 1430 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wagner. 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 19

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 21May 15May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 12May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 12
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 12
16°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
28°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 2
24°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
20°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30

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°F165159154151146142138134128
32°F183177172168164160156151144
28°F203196191186182178174167160
24°F224214209205202198193188181
20°F242234228224218214209204197
16°F259253247242237233228222214

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
6,543
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,025
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,436
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,308
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,301
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,415
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,653

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31900
February1,07802
March851023
April4886107
May18756347
June24204630
July2352815
August8283739
September96112471
October43511147
November836020
December1,22000

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 0.5 km from Wagner. 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 USC00398767 (Wagner). Public domain.