Oneida County climate

Oneida County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rhinelander, 13.2 km from Oneida County, elevation 1572 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rhinelander. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 125 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 3, first September 13
Median at 32°F
last May 22, first September 24
Median at 28°F
last May 8, first October 4

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 18Jun 12Jun 8Jun 5Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 26May 21
32°FJun 4May 30May 27May 24May 22May 19May 15May 11May 6
28°FMay 24May 19May 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26
24°FMay 13May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
20°FApr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5
16°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29

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°FAug 31Sep 4Sep 8Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 27
32°FSep 9Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7
28°FSep 20Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 15Oct 19
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
20°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
16°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22

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°F12111410910610298948981
32°F144137133129125121117112105
28°F166159153149146142137132124
24°F191183178173169165159154147
20°F214206201196192188184178170
16°F230223219215212207204199192

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
9,301
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
240
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,435
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,541
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,761
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,103
Growing degree days, base 60°F
588

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,68200
February1,42900
March1,22804
April789021
May39611156
June13548367
July5695504
August8865442
September27920225
October672141
November1,06803
December1,47900

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 13.2 km from Oneida 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 USC00477113 (Rhinelander). Public domain.