La Crosse climate

La Crosse Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for John H Kerr Dam, 21.1 km from La Crosse, elevation 250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for John H Kerr Dam. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 210 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 24, first November 11

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 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 4
32°FApr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
28°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12Mar 5
24°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 19
20°FMar 17Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 25Feb 20Feb 13Feb 6Jan 31
16°FMar 5Feb 26Feb 19Feb 11Feb 5Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 10

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 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
32°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14
28°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Dec 1
24°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13Dec 24
20°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 7Dec 13Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14
16°FDec 10Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 14Jan 21Feb 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°F205199194190187183179174166
32°F230222217213210206202197190
28°F258250244238234229225220213
24°F290282275269263258252246237
20°F325314306301295289282275265
16°F356342334330325318311304293

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
93% 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
3,504
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,825
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,742
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,239
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,896
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,716
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,695

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January788021
February632030
March4955105
April21446302
May58162569
June5355800
July0498963
August0443908
September17254687
October17556356
November4345119
December686137

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 21.1 km from La Crosse. 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 USC00444414 (John H Kerr Dam). Public domain.