Klickitat County climate

Klickitat County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Goldendale, 8.4 km from Klickitat County, elevation 1640 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Goldendale. 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 May 19 and the first fall freeze around September 25, a growing season of about 126 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 11, first September 9
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first September 25
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 7

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°FJul 5Jun 26Jun 21Jun 16Jun 11Jun 7Jun 3May 30May 23
32°FJun 9Jun 1May 28May 23May 19May 15May 11May 7May 2
28°FMay 16May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 17
24°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4Mar 30Mar 20
20°FApr 9Mar 30Mar 23Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Feb 28Feb 25Feb 17
16°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 11Feb 3Jan 23Jan 8

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°FAug 27Sep 1Sep 4Sep 7Sep 9Sep 12Sep 17Sep 21Sep 26
32°FSep 8Sep 14Sep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 24
24°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2Nov 9
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17Nov 25
16°FOct 27Nov 2Nov 7Nov 13Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1Dec 8Dec 20

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°F114107101969084797163
32°F151143136131126122115109102
28°F181172167163159155150145136
24°F223213205199193187181174166
20°F273261253246240233226220207
16°F323308299289280272263255244

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
6,483
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
323
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,952
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,847
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,953
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,234
Growing degree days, base 60°F
690

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05700
February85300
March76103
April572030
May3476160
June17630306
July46136555
August45127547
September19124290
October530059
November83102
December1,07400

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 8.4 km from Klickitat County. 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 USC00453222 (Goldendale). Public domain.