Elgin climate

Elgin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elgin 1 N, 1.6 km from Elgin, elevation 594 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elgin 1 N. 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 March 4 and the first fall freeze around November 24, a growing season of about 264 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 18, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 4, first November 24
Median at 28°F
last February 21, first December 9

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°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
32°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12
28°FMar 13Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 29Jan 18
24°FMar 4Feb 25Feb 15Feb 9Feb 2Jan 27Jan 19Jan 11Dec 31
20°FFeb 23Feb 11Feb 6Jan 31Jan 23Jan 16Jan 8Dec 31Dec 21
16°FFeb 16Feb 8Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 21Jan 10Jan 6Dec 29

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°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 30
32°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
28°FNov 17Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 20Dec 27Jan 5
24°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 17Dec 25Dec 31Jan 5Jan 9Jan 18Feb 1
20°FDec 10Dec 23Dec 30Jan 4Jan 7Jan 13Jan 21Feb 1Feb 8
16°FDec 23Jan 2Jan 6Jan 12Jan 21Jan 30Feb 3Feb 6Feb 14

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°F266257251245240235230223215
32°F298284277270264258252246238
28°F333318310302295287279270260
24°F365353344334325317309302286
20°F365365365365365354342332319
16°F365365365365365365365365349

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
89% of years
20°F or colder
52% of years
16°F or colder
16% 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
1,751
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,891
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,324
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,596
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,959
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,449
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,088

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4727120
February33614169
March19147344
April56134530
May6316775
June0495945
July05941,059
August06081,072
September2420868
October46196617
November21749313
December42511147

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 1.6 km from Elgin. 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 USC00412820 (Elgin 1 N). Public domain.