Wauzeka climate

Wauzeka Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Steuben 4 Se, 6.6 km from Wauzeka, elevation 1015 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Steuben 4 Se. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 10, 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FMay 19May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 18
32°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8
16°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1

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 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 7Nov 13
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12

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°F177171166161158153149144137
32°F200194188184179175170165158
28°F221214209205201197193188180
24°F243236230226221217212208200
20°F260253247243238235231226218
16°F275269264259255251246241233

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
7,184
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
634
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,778
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,705
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,748
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,920
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,211

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,47000
February1,20500
March958019
April539273
May23333286
June36131544
July7222680
August13179631
September14162378
October4595123
November864015
December1,25901

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 6.6 km from Wauzeka. 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 USC00478164 (Steuben 4 Se). Public domain.