Barton climate

Barton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for W Bend Public Works, 3.8 km from Barton, elevation 980 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for W Bend Public Works. 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 12, a growing season of about 161 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 24

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 23May 19May 16May 12May 10May 6May 2Apr 30
32°FMay 18May 12May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 6Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
24°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10

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 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14
32°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 26
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26
16°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F159153149145141137132127120
32°F180175169165161157153148142
28°F204198194189185181176171164
24°F228220215212208205201196189
20°F246240236232227224220215209
16°F264257252248244241236231224

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
7,420
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
532
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,405
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,374
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,475
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,695
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,040

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,43500
February1,19600
March1,008113
April631142
May30422223
June69102484
July16198648
August25150590
September15254360
October4933103
November861013
December1,23100

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 3.8 km from Barton. 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 USC00479052 (W Bend Public Works). Public domain.