Bantam climate

Bantam Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bakersville, 22.9 km from Bantam, elevation 686 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bakersville. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 18

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 31May 28May 24May 22May 19May 16May 14May 10May 4
32°FMay 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 24
28°FMay 11May 6May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 11
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6

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 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 21
28°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1Nov 4
24°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 16
20°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13

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°F148142137134130126122118112
32°F171164159155151147142138132
28°F199191186181176172167162155
24°F226217212208203199194189182
20°F251244238233228224220215208
16°F274265259255250246242236229

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
6,841
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
431
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,338
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,269
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,345
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,558
Growing degree days, base 60°F
914

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26901
February1,08600
March95207
April579356
May28119226
June7879452
July13167618
August29123560
September16838326
October502384
November783013
December1,10101

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 22.9 km from Bantam. 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 USC00060227 (Bakersville). Public domain.