Cudahy climate

Cudahy Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Milwaukee Mitchell AP, 3.6 km from Cudahy, elevation 670 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Milwaukee Mitchell AP. 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 April 19 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 192 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first November 8

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 15May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
32°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6
28°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
24°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
20°FMar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 2
16°FMar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22

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°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
24°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22

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°F188181176172168164161156150
32°F211204200196192188184180173
28°F235227222218215212208203197
24°F255248242238234231227222215
20°F274266260257253248245240233
16°F294284279274270265261256248

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
6,450
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
780
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,996
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,874
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,902
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,064
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,354

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26900
February1,06101
March886117
April566460
May27834249
June64142528
July6263722
August8232690
September9493451
October38311159
November737025
December1,09901

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 3.6 km from Cudahy. 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 USW00014839 (Milwaukee Mitchell AP). Public domain.