Howards Grove climate

Howards Grove Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sheboygan CO Mem AP, 7.6 km from Howards Grove, elevation 746 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sheboygan CO Mem 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 May 5 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 154 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 23, 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°FJun 2May 29May 26May 22May 19May 17May 13May 9May 3
32°FMay 21May 17May 13May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
28°FMay 9May 2Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8

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 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3
24°FOct 17Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 25Nov 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°F151144138134131127123119113
32°F173167162158154149144139132
28°F201193188184180176171166158
24°F227219214209206201196191184
20°F249243237233229224220215209
16°F268261256251248244239234227

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
7,571
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
407
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,097
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,086
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,210
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,463
Growing degree days, base 60°F
852

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,41500
February1,20100
March1,01907
April659029
May34813177
June9378436
July26157597
August34118549
September17537320
October514386
November86109
December1,22600

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 7.6 km from Howards Grove. 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 USW00004841 (Sheboygan CO Mem AP). Public domain.