Barron climate

Barron Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rice Lake, 6.2 km from Barron, elevation 1103 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rice Lake. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 145 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 11

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 2May 29May 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 9May 5
32°FMay 23May 18May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
24°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
16°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 16

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 8Sep 13Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19
16°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 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°F145138133129125121117112103
32°F163156152148145141137132124
28°F185178174169165161157152145
24°F209202196192188185179174167
20°F229222217212208205200195188
16°F245239234230226221217212205

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
8,464
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
473
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,145
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,173
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,315
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,571
Growing degree days, base 60°F
952

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,65400
February1,37200
March1,12106
April662142
May29625234
June71101481
July19177623
August36126555
September20240304
October590366
November1,00105
December1,44000

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 6.2 km from Barron. 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 USC00477132 (Rice Lake). Public domain.