Valders climate

Valders Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Manitowoc, 18.7 km from Valders, elevation 584 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Manitowoc. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 1

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 31May 24May 20May 16May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 15May 10May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
28°FMay 3Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12
16°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 24
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13

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°F169162156151146142137132123
32°F193186181176171168163157150
28°F217210206201197193188183174
24°F239233227223219215211206199
20°F257249245240236231228223216
16°F276267263258254249244239232

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
7,582
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
359
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,984
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,977
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,113
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,379
Growing degree days, base 60°F
789

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,39700
February1,18700
March1,03702
April684021
May3836142
June11655390
July28139577
August29122558
September16035332
October498284
November84907
December1,21500

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 18.7 km from Valders. 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 USC00475017 (Manitowoc). Public domain.