Arcadia climate

Arcadia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dodge, 13.9 km from Arcadia, elevation 685 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dodge. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 16

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 28May 24May 20May 18May 15May 13May 9May 6May 2
32°FMay 19May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 21
28°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 30
20°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18
16°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9

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 13Sep 18Sep 21Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 21Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
28°FSep 30Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
20°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
16°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28

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°F154148143139135131127123116
32°F171165161156152149145141134
28°F196188182179174170165160152
24°F219212207202197193188183175
20°F240232227223219215211206199
16°F258250245240237233229224218

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
7,225
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
647
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,754
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,692
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,746
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,920
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,208

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,47400
February1,19300
March947119
April528691
May22236296
June39136548
July10226682
August24167608
September14168384
October4767111
November88109
December1,29100

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 13.9 km from Arcadia. 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 USC00472165 (Dodge). Public domain.