Park Falls climate

Park Falls Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Park Falls Dnr Hq, 0.7 km from Park Falls, elevation 1525 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Park Falls Dnr Hq. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 134 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 7

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 10Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 21May 18May 12
32°FMay 30May 25May 21May 18May 15May 12May 9May 5Apr 30
28°FMay 19May 14May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 22
24°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
20°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3
16°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25

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 6Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
28°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17Oct 22
24°FOct 1Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
20°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25

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°F13312712211711310910510094
32°F154147143138134131126121114
28°F174167162158154150146142136
24°F197190184180176172168162154
20°F219212206202199194190186178
16°F234229224219215212207203197

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
9,079
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
286
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,592
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,681
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,887
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,209
Growing degree days, base 60°F
666

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,66800
February1,40600
March1,18605
April758026
May36217186
June11854388
July50107522
August7882470
September26825241
October663146
November1,05303
December1,47100

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 0.7 km from Park Falls. 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 USC00476398 (Park Falls Dnr Hq). Public domain.