Port Edwards climate

Port Edwards Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Fld, 2.4 km from Port Edwards, elevation 1019 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Fld. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 145 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 12

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 1May 28May 25May 22May 19May 17May 14May 11May 7
32°FMay 22May 18May 15May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
24°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
20°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
16°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13

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 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
28°FSep 27Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 9
20°FOct 23Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
16°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30

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°F144138133129125121118113107
32°F164157153149145141137132125
28°F187180175170166162157152144
24°F211204199194190185182176168
20°F233226221218213210205201195
16°F252245240236232227224219212

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
7,830
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
502
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,307
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,300
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,411
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,645
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,002

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,51600
February1,26600
March1,036112
April622150
May28624236
June61104494
July15188639
August30136570
September18644319
October547484
November92907
December1,33800

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 2.4 km from Port Edwards. 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 USW00004826 (Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Fld). Public domain.