Mauston climate

Mauston Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mauston 1 Se, 1.6 km from Mauston, elevation 865 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mauston 1 Se. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 19

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 25May 21May 17May 14May 11May 7May 4Apr 29
32°FMay 15May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
20°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
16°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 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 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 11
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21
28°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
20°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25
16°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4

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°F155150145141138134131126119
32°F175169165161158154150146138
28°F200193188184180176172167160
24°F222214210206202198193189180
20°F243235231226222218214209203
16°F261254249244239236231226219

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
7,491
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
542
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,478
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,439
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,522
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,727
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,061

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,48300
February1,22500
March988114
April590262
May26231262
June58111503
July14197648
August28147584
September16850341
October509495
November878013
December1,28800

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 1.6 km from Mauston. 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 USC00475178 (Mauston 1 Se). Public domain.