Van Buren County climate

Van Buren County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fall Creek Falls SP, 10.6 km from Van Buren County, elevation 1790 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fall Creek Falls SP. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 29

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 19May 13May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
32°FMay 9May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 3
28°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 21
24°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 7
20°FApr 5Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5Feb 27Feb 19
16°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 11Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 2

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 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 2
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18Nov 27
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 24Jan 1

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°F180172168164159155151146139
32°F203195189184180175171166156
28°F225217212207202198194188180
24°F254243236231226220215209201
20°F282271263257251245240233223
16°F313302293286278272266258248

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
4,380
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
864
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,223
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,824
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,583
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,512
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,604

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January916014
February731021
March583173
April31012207
May12258408
June17163595
July3264727
August3239701
September49111512
October27216246
November566158
December809022

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 10.6 km from Van Buren County. 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 USC00403040 (Fall Creek Falls SP). Public domain.