Mossyrock Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mayfield Pwr Plt. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around November 13, a growing season of about 215 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 6, first October 24
- Median at 32°F
- last April 7, first November 13
- Median at 28°F
- last March 6, first December 1
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 23 | May 17 | May 14 | May 10 | May 6 | May 2 | Apr 28 | Apr 24 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | May 8 | Apr 30 | Apr 24 | Apr 15 | Apr 7 | Apr 2 | Mar 29 | Mar 24 | Mar 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Mar 24 | Mar 19 | Mar 13 | Mar 6 | Feb 28 | Feb 24 | Feb 16 | Jan 31 |
| 24°F | Mar 1 | Feb 24 | Feb 16 | Feb 8 | Jan 31 | Jan 18 | Jan 7 | Dec 31 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 8 | Jan 30 | Jan 19 | Jan 4 | Dec 30 | Dec 21 | Dec 13 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 9 | Feb 2 | Jan 16 | Jan 3 | Dec 31 | Dec 22 | Dec 15 | Dec 9 | Dec 3 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 20 | Feb 7 |
| 20°F | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 13 | Jan 29 | Feb 11 |
| 16°F | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 197 | 189 | 182 | 177 | 171 | 166 | 160 | 154 | 144 |
| 32°F | 249 | 238 | 229 | 222 | 215 | 208 | 201 | 193 | 181 |
| 28°F | 311 | 296 | 286 | 278 | 269 | 261 | 254 | 246 | 232 |
| 24°F | 365 | 359 | 346 | 336 | 328 | 320 | 311 | 302 | 285 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 363 | 351 | 337 | 325 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 362 |
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
- 85% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 43% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 14% 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
- 5,086
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 237
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,533
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,146
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,054
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,226
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 619
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 805 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 662 | 0 | 1 |
| March | 631 | 0 | 12 |
| April | 471 | 2 | 62 |
| May | 284 | 10 | 209 |
| June | 175 | 26 | 303 |
| July | 49 | 88 | 504 |
| August | 43 | 86 | 508 |
| September | 139 | 25 | 337 |
| October | 398 | 1 | 104 |
| November | 623 | 0 | 12 |
| December | 807 | 0 | 2 |
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 8.8 km from Mossyrock. 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 USC00455110 (Mayfield Pwr Plt). Public domain.