Wind Lake climate

Wind Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rochester Wwtp, 12.7 km from Wind Lake, elevation 783 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rochester Wwtp. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 21

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 2May 29May 26May 23May 19May 16May 13May 9May 3
32°FMay 23May 16May 12May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 23
28°FMay 10May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 8
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 26
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14
16°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 17Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 29
16°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9

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°F153146141137134130126120114
32°F175169164160156152147141133
28°F201194188183179175171166156
24°F225218213209205201196190183
20°F251243238233228224219214207
16°F271265259254250245240235229

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
7,171
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
529
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,500
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,446
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,521
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,720
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,049

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38900
February1,17200
March971117
April595148
May28622236
June52102500
July13191643
August20152596
September15357360
October4764107
November842014
December1,20400

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 12.7 km from Wind Lake. 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 USC00477314 (Rochester Wwtp). Public domain.