Somers Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kenosha Rgnl AP. 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 April 28 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 174 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 8, first October 7
- Median at 32°F
- last April 28, first October 19
- Median at 28°F
- last April 15, first October 30
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 26 | May 21 | May 16 | May 12 | May 8 | May 5 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | May 13 | May 7 | May 3 | Apr 30 | Apr 28 | Apr 25 | Apr 21 | Apr 17 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | May 2 | Apr 27 | Apr 23 | Apr 19 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Apr 18 | Apr 13 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 24 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F | Apr 4 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 26 | Mar 23 | Mar 19 | Mar 16 | Mar 12 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 28 | Mar 22 | Mar 18 | Mar 15 | Mar 12 | Mar 9 | Mar 7 | Mar 4 | Feb 27 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 169 | 161 | 156 | 151 | 148 | 144 | 140 | 136 | 128 |
| 32°F | 194 | 186 | 182 | 178 | 174 | 169 | 164 | 159 | 153 |
| 28°F | 215 | 210 | 205 | 200 | 196 | 192 | 187 | 182 | 174 |
| 24°F | 240 | 233 | 228 | 224 | 219 | 215 | 211 | 206 | 199 |
| 20°F | 264 | 255 | 251 | 246 | 241 | 238 | 235 | 229 | 220 |
| 16°F | 286 | 277 | 271 | 266 | 261 | 258 | 253 | 247 | 240 |
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
- 6,447
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 722
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,978
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,849
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,862
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,011
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,292
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,276 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,068 | 0 | 2 |
| March | 880 | 1 | 21 |
| April | 543 | 4 | 70 |
| May | 254 | 38 | 271 |
| June | 54 | 138 | 534 |
| July | 9 | 249 | 705 |
| August | 10 | 201 | 656 |
| September | 111 | 79 | 421 |
| October | 394 | 11 | 156 |
| November | 749 | 0 | 24 |
| December | 1,100 | 0 | 2 |
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 5.5 km from Somers. 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 USW00004845 (Kenosha Rgnl AP). Public domain.