La Center climate

La Center Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Battle Ground, 14.9 km from La Center, elevation 284 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Battle Ground. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 5

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 31May 26May 21May 17May 13May 10May 6May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 12May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18Apr 13Apr 5
28°FApr 23Apr 15Apr 8Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19Mar 13Mar 4
24°FMar 24Mar 13Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 15Feb 5Jan 21
20°FFeb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 7Jan 31Jan 20Jan 8Dec 31Dec 13
16°FFeb 22Feb 12Feb 1Jan 24Jan 8Dec 31Dec 21Dec 11Dec 1

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 11Sep 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11Oct 19
32°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21Oct 26Nov 1Nov 10
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 21Nov 30
24°FOct 28Nov 5Nov 11Nov 18Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 13Dec 25
20°FNov 11Nov 23Nov 30Dec 5Dec 13Dec 22Dec 29Jan 6Jan 31
16°FNov 22Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14Dec 22Dec 29Jan 6Jan 25Feb 13

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°F162154148142137133128122111
32°F203191185179174168162156148
28°F251240232226219213208201190
24°F314299289279273265257245235
20°F363350338330321313306296278
16°F365365365365364352340332316

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
89% of years
16°F or colder
49% 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
5,303
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
164
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,273
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,907
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,839
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,036
Growing degree days, base 60°F
480

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January80602
February67102
March631015
April486050
May3185171
June19117277
July7461453
August6663462
September16617303
October428192
November645012
December82102

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 14.9 km from La Center. 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 USC00450482 (Battle Ground). Public domain.