Holmen climate

Holmen Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Crosse Muni AP, 9.4 km from Holmen, elevation 652 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Crosse Muni 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 28

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 17May 12May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19
20°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29
16°FNov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8

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°F174167163159155152149144138
32°F196191185181177173169165158
28°F217210206202198194191186179
24°F236230225221218214210206200
20°F255248243239235231227222216
16°F271263259256251246242237231

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
6,788
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
942
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,293
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,190
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,200
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,327
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,570

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,42700
February1,16601
March907121
April4866103
May18159353
June24206631
July3311773
August8248705
September10599448
October42212146
November821018
December1,23701

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 9.4 km from Holmen. 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 USW00014920 (La Crosse Muni AP). Public domain.