Vesper climate

Vesper Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wisconsin Rapids, 16.3 km from Vesper, elevation 1033 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wisconsin Rapids. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 10

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 3May 30May 27May 24May 21May 18May 15May 11May 7
32°FMay 24May 19May 15May 11May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 14May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
20°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24
16°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16

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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 13
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24
24°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
20°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
16°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 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°F142135131127124120116111105
32°F161155150146142139135130123
28°F181175171166162158153148141
24°F204198193189185181176171162
20°F226219214210207203199194187
16°F244238232229225221217212207

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
8,158
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
460
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,129
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,149
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,285
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,540
Growing degree days, base 60°F
926

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55600
February1,30300
March1,081011
April649145
May30822219
June7998470
July21173617
August41126550
September20836294
October574374
November97005
December1,36900

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 16.3 km from Vesper. 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 USC00479335 (Wisconsin Rapids). Public domain.