Eagle Lake climate

Eagle Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Union Grove, 7.9 km from Eagle Lake, elevation 730 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Union Grove. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 20

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

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 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23
28°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 15Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 16
20°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 28Dec 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°F155148144140136132128124118
32°F175169165160156152148144138
28°F199192187183178174171165159
24°F224216211207202198193188181
20°F247239234230225222217212205
16°F267259254250246241237232226

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
7,283
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
529
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,415
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,371
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,455
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,673
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,026

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,39800
February1,16200
March968015
April613354
May30826223
June80108480
July18196643
August28140577
September15950347
October4906105
November848012
December1,21201

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 7.9 km from Eagle Lake. 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 USC00478723 (Union Grove). Public domain.