Woodruff climate

Woodruff Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Minocqua, 2.8 km from Woodruff, elevation 1601 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Minocqua. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 127 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 1, first September 15
Median at 32°F
last May 23, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 10, first October 6

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 17Jun 11Jun 7Jun 4Jun 1May 31May 28May 24May 20
32°FJun 6Jun 1May 29May 26May 23May 20May 17May 13May 7
28°FMay 25May 20May 16May 12May 10May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27
24°FMay 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
20°FApr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 6
16°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31

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

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°F12411711110710399948881
32°F147140135131127122118112105
28°F171164158153149145141136128
24°F193186181177172168164159151
20°F215208203199194190186181175
16°F230224220216212208204199193

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
9,476
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
208
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,298
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,426
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,670
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,031
Growing degree days, base 60°F
535

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,69100
February1,42900
March1,24903
April827016
May42711146
June13947364
July6885482
August10548409
September29716210
October686139
November1,07302
December1,48600

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 2.8 km from Woodruff. 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 USC00475516 (Minocqua). Public domain.