Dyer Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Milan Exp Stn. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 206 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 15, first October 19
- Median at 32°F
- last April 4, first October 28
- Median at 28°F
- last March 25, first November 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | Apr 25 | Apr 22 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 16 | Apr 11 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Apr 1 | Mar 30 | Mar 25 | Mar 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 11 | Apr 5 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 25 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 11 | Mar 4 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Mar 26 | Mar 20 | Mar 16 | Mar 11 | Mar 6 | Mar 2 | Feb 26 | Feb 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 12 | Mar 6 | Mar 2 | Feb 27 | Feb 22 | Feb 18 | Feb 11 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 1 | Feb 24 | Feb 19 | Feb 13 | Feb 6 | Feb 1 | Jan 28 | Jan 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 206 | 198 | 193 | 189 | 185 | 181 | 177 | 172 | 165 |
| 32°F | 227 | 218 | 214 | 209 | 206 | 201 | 197 | 191 | 184 |
| 28°F | 252 | 243 | 237 | 231 | 226 | 221 | 217 | 210 | 203 |
| 24°F | 280 | 270 | 263 | 256 | 250 | 245 | 240 | 234 | 225 |
| 20°F | 311 | 301 | 292 | 284 | 277 | 271 | 264 | 257 | 247 |
| 16°F | 343 | 331 | 321 | 313 | 307 | 301 | 294 | 285 | 273 |
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
- 98% 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
- 3,676
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,766
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 7,660
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 6,194
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 4,864
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 3,686
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 2,654
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 841 | 1 | 26 |
| February | 649 | 1 | 42 |
| March | 470 | 12 | 137 |
| April | 211 | 54 | 318 |
| May | 52 | 174 | 588 |
| June | 2 | 353 | 801 |
| July | 0 | 462 | 927 |
| August | 0 | 417 | 882 |
| September | 25 | 228 | 652 |
| October | 199 | 58 | 343 |
| November | 484 | 6 | 110 |
| December | 743 | 1 | 39 |
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 28.3 km from Dyer. 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 USC00406012 (Milan Exp Stn). Public domain.