Eagle Lake climate

Eagle Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eagle Lake Resch Ctr, 4.6 km from Eagle Lake, elevation 176 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eagle Lake Resch Ctr. 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 February 21 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 285 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 7, first November 18
Median at 32°F
last February 21, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last January 30, first December 18

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°FMar 30Mar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15
32°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 1Feb 25Feb 21Feb 16Feb 8Jan 31Jan 22
28°FMar 4Feb 23Feb 14Feb 6Jan 30Jan 24Jan 16Jan 6Dec 25
24°FFeb 18Feb 8Jan 31Jan 23Jan 14Jan 6Jan 1Dec 25Dec 12
20°FFeb 5Jan 30Jan 23Jan 15Jan 9Jan 4Dec 31Dec 24Dec 15
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
32°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17Dec 28
28°FNov 21Nov 29Dec 4Dec 10Dec 18Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8Jan 26
24°FDec 4Dec 10Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 22Feb 5
20°FDec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 18Jan 24Feb 2
16°F–––––––––

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°F287276268262256250245238228
32°F322308300292285278270262251
28°F363352339332322314305296280
24°F365365365365359348339331317
20°F365365365365365365365365353
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
91% of years
24°F or colder
54% of years
20°F or colder
16% of years
16°F or colder
2% 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
1,494
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,034
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,695
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,930
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,251
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,693
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,283

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4277134
February28916197
March16461377
April41150561
May4350811
June0501951
July05951,060
August06041,069
September0441891
October32232666
November17665356
December36012179

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 4.6 km from Eagle Lake. 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 USC00412676 (Eagle Lake Resch Ctr). Public domain.