Plover climate

Plover Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Stevens Pt, 7 km from Plover, elevation 1079 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Stevens Pt. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 25, 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 29May 25May 21May 18May 15May 12May 8May 5Apr 30
32°FMay 20May 15May 10May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
28°FMay 11May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10
24°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 21Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
16°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
28°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24
16°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1

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°F154148144140137133128125118
32°F174167163158155151147142134
28°F198191186181177172168162153
24°F219213208204201197193186178
20°F241233228225221216212207200
16°F257250245241237232228222215

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
8,037
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
451
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,158
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,173
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,304
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,555
Growing degree days, base 60°F
930

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,53900
February1,29600
March1,07309
April656142
May30824225
June7394472
July18166612
August35123553
September19541310
October558376
November94106
December1,34500

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 km from Plover. 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 USC00478171 (Stevens Pt). Public domain.