Sawyer County climate

Sawyer County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Winter, 14.7 km from Sawyer County, elevation 1355 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Winter. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 129 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 2, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 5

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 15Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 30May 27May 23May 18
32°FJun 3May 29May 26May 22May 19May 16May 13May 8May 3
28°FMay 21May 16May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
24°FMay 9May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 8
20°FApr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
16°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23

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 3Sep 8Sep 13Sep 17Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Oct 1
32°FSep 8Sep 15Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8
28°FSep 20Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16Oct 22
24°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 4
20°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15
16°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 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°F126120113109105101969183
32°F150143137133129124120114107
28°F173166161156152148143138131
24°F199190184180175172167161153
20°F221213208203198194189183175
16°F238230226222218213209203197

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
8,997
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
263
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,596
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,670
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,864
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,182
Growing degree days, base 60°F
640

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,67800
February1,38600
March1,15705
April732030
May37113174
June12450381
July53101513
August7971458
September26026248
October642252
November1,03804
December1,47700

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 14.7 km from Sawyer County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00479304 (Winter). Public domain.