Camden climate

Camden Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Camden 3 Nw, 4.9 km from Camden, elevation 235 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Camden 3 Nw. 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 March 18 and the first fall freeze around November 11, a growing season of about 241 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 1, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 18, first November 11
Median at 28°F
last March 3, first November 22

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°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 12
32°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3Feb 25
28°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 6
24°FMar 14Mar 6Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 11Feb 4Jan 28Jan 17
20°FMar 3Feb 22Feb 13Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 13Dec 31
16°FFeb 22Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 18Jan 11Jan 5Dec 25

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°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
32°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25Dec 2
28°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8Dec 22
24°FNov 13Nov 21Nov 28Dec 3Dec 9Dec 17Dec 26Jan 2Jan 10
20°FNov 25Dec 5Dec 16Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 19Feb 1
16°FDec 8Dec 23Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 14Jan 20Jan 30Feb 7

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°F241233227222217212208202194
32°F267259251246241236231225216
28°F299288279273266260254248238
24°F332320309302296288280272260
20°F365348340333326319310301288
16°F365365365365356346337329315

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
86% of years
16°F or colder
56% 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
2,252
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,215
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,181
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,497
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,940
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,539
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,289

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January563375
February4045120
March23632291
April10081433
May9251707
June0418868
July0497962
August0471936
September2327775
October96108482
November32218200
December520491

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 4.9 km from Camden. 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 USC00011301 (Camden 3 Nw). Public domain.