Hidden Meadows climate

Hidden Meadows Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Valley Ctr 1N, 6.9 km from Hidden Meadows, elevation 1290 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Valley Ctr 1N. 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 February 19 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 281 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first November 13
Median at 32°F
last February 19, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last January 8, first December 17

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 22Apr 16Apr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 27Mar 19Mar 12Mar 1
32°FMar 31Mar 16Mar 4Feb 26Feb 19Feb 12Feb 4Jan 25Jan 10
28°FFeb 14Feb 3Jan 25Jan 16Jan 8Jan 2Dec 30Dec 22Dec 13
24°FJan 28Jan 15Jan 7Jan 1Dec 30Dec 26Dec 22Dec 16Dec 10
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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 22Oct 31Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Dec 1
32°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20
28°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 17Dec 21Dec 27Dec 31Jan 12
24°FDec 9Dec 13Dec 20Dec 23Dec 26Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 21
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°F256247239232225218212206197
32°F321310300290281273263253240
28°F365360353346340334326317303
24°F365365365365365365365360347
20°F365365365365365365365365365
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
85% of years
24°F or colder
26% of years
20°F or colder
1% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
1,955
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,150
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,320
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,504
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,764
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,243
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,045

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January3780108
February3251125
March2723203
April1828277
May9840408
June15129564
July0296761
August0338803
September6262706
October6068473
November2136248
December406088

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 6.9 km from Hidden Meadows. 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 USC00049226 (Valley Ctr 1N). Public domain.