Initial Date of Soil Freeze-up

The dates when soils initially freeze across the region,
taken from Army Corps of Engineers frost tube records
for the period 1971-1988.
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Location        Ave Date    Earliest Date     Latest Date
_________________________________________________________
Minot, ND         11/27          10/30            1/4
Bottineau, ND     11/17          10/29           12/8
Park River, ND    11/20          11/7            12/8
Devils Lake, ND   11/26          11/13           12/12
Langdon, ND       11/17          10/27            1/4
Valley City, ND   11/20          11/1            12/7
Fargo, ND         11/25          11/7            12/16
Spooner, WI       12/4           11/26           12/22
Gay Mills, WI     12/6           11/9            12/24
Neillsville, WI   12/14          11/19            1/2
Glen Flora, WI    12/7           11/10            1/9
Mauston, WI       12/8           11/15            1/4
Wausau, WI        12/17          12/8             1/22
Bessmmer, MI      12/17          11/13            3/7
Crookston, MN     11/28          11/10           12/26
Watson, MN        12/1           11/6            12/15
Morris, MN        11/24          11/7             1/7
Wheaton, MN       11/24          11/10           12/3
Fergus Falls, MN  11/26          11/9            12/30
Roseau, MN        12/6           10/28           12/30
Bemidji, MN       11/24          11/6            12/8
Brainerd, MN      12/1           11/18           12/14
Lamberton, MN     12/4           11/10           12/30
Winnebago, MN     12/2           11/11           12/25
Mankato, MN       12/21          12/7             1/12
Minneapolis, MN   12/8           11/13            1/8
St Cloud, MN      11/27          11/11           12/11
McGregor, MN      11/29          11/13           12/11
Northome, MN      12/12          11/24            1/7
Int'l Falls, MN   12/8           11/23           12/26
Virginia, MN      11/17          10/29            1/9
Duluth, MN        12/2           10/31            1/18
St Paul, MN       12/6           11/7             1/2
Rochester, MN     12/6           11/9             1/10
Winona, MN        12/20          11/18            1/10

Mark Seeley
Professor and Extension Climatologist
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
University of Minnesota
St Paul, MN  55108

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