Cecil climate

Cecil Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Shawano 2SSW, 14.1 km from Cecil, elevation 806 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Shawano 2SSW. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 144 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 13

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 3May 31May 27May 24May 21May 18May 15May 11May 6
32°FMay 24May 19May 15May 12May 9May 6May 4Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 15May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 15
24°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
20°FApr 22Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24
16°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15

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 7Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28
24°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21
16°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30

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°F143135131127124119116111104
32°F163157152148144140136131126
28°F186179173169165161157152144
24°F211204198193189184179174166
20°F232226221217213210205200193
16°F252245240236232228224219214

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
8,103
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
458
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,112
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,134
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,276
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,537
Growing degree days, base 60°F
924

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,54500
February1,30300
March1,08706
April660141
May31225221
June8097467
July24168609
August40124549
September20041307
October566371
November93905
December1,34800

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 14.1 km from Cecil. 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 USC00477708 (Shawano 2SSW). Public domain.