Dodge County climate

Dodge County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Horicon Wwtp, 6.6 km from Dodge County, elevation 881 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Horicon Wwtp. 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 10, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 21

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 30May 24May 21May 17May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 19May 13May 8May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 26
20°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7

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 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 27Sep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24
28°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 4
24°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7

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°F156150146142138134130125117
32°F180173167163158154150144135
28°F205198192187182177173168161
24°F227220214211206203199193185
20°F249241235231226223219213207
16°F266259254249245241236231225

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
7,673
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
483
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,317
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,299
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,404
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,632
Growing degree days, base 60°F
984

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,48900
February1,24700
March1,028110
April621251
May29427233
June70101482
July16173622
August29130566
September17247337
October520493
November89609
December1,29101

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 6.6 km from Dodge County. 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 USC00473756 (Horicon Wwtp). Public domain.