Satsop climate

Satsop Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elma, 6.3 km from Satsop, elevation 70 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elma. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 169 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 2

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°FJun 11Jun 2May 29May 25May 19May 15May 10May 6May 1
32°FMay 19May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 11
28°FMay 3Apr 25Apr 18Apr 10Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 18Mar 8
24°FApr 2Mar 23Mar 15Mar 9Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17Feb 9Jan 21
20°FMar 2Feb 24Feb 15Feb 9Jan 31Jan 16Jan 1Dec 19Dec 4
16°FFeb 19Feb 9Jan 28Jan 7Dec 28Dec 19Dec 12Dec 7Dec 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 12Sep 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 15
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23Oct 29Nov 4
28°FOct 10Oct 18Oct 24Oct 29Nov 2Nov 7Nov 13Nov 19Nov 27
24°FOct 31Nov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5Dec 14Jan 2
20°FNov 11Nov 22Nov 29Dec 5Dec 11Dec 19Jan 1Jan 17Feb 8
16°FNov 18Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 22Jan 3Jan 28Feb 12

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°F156149142136130125120112101
32°F197187181175169164158151143
28°F247235226218212204197188175
24°F317303289280271261252243229
20°F365359344333323314306291274
16°F365365365365365362344332316

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
83% of years
16°F or colder
45% 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
4,780
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
171
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,682
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,208
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,043
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,163
Growing degree days, base 60°F
535

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January72503
February61904
March580021
April437172
May2766206
June15718311
July5759467
August4764482
September13123342
October3871116
November608017
December75602

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 6.3 km from Satsop. 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 USC00452531 (Elma). Public domain.