Wind Point climate

Wind Point Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Racine Batten AP, 4.7 km from Wind Point, elevation 674 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Racine Batten 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first November 4

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 23May 18May 15May 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 10May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11
28°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17
20°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6
16°FMar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 26

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 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17
24°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28
20°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20

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°F176170166162158154149143135
32°F200193189184180176173167161
28°F224217213209205201197192185
24°F248241235230227223219214209
20°F268261256252247243238233227
16°F286279273268264261256252245

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
6,682
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
654
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,752
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,652
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,703
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,885
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,199

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29400
February1,09101
March918013
April594249
May30223219
June72116494
July9234690
August9198654
September10674421
October4098142
November758020
December1,12101

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 4.7 km from Wind Point. 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 USW00094818 (Racine Batten AP). Public domain.