Lakeville climate

Lakeville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Falls Village, 6.3 km from Lakeville, elevation 550 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Falls Village. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 146 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 15

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 5Jun 1May 29May 26May 23May 20May 16May 13May 7
32°FMay 27May 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 4Apr 30Apr 27
28°FMay 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
24°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20
16°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9

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 11Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7
32°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
28°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 31
24°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
20°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
16°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 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°F144138133129125121116111104
32°F166159154150146143138132126
28°F190183178173169166162156151
24°F216209205200195191186182174
20°F240234228224220216212207200
16°F264256251246242237233227221

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
6,556
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
540
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,631
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,532
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,576
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,749
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,064

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24601
February1,06800
March92908
April555362
May24924256
June6398485
July7204662
August19157603
September13052375
October4513109
November758015
December1,08202

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 6.3 km from Lakeville. 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 USC00062658 (Falls Village). Public domain.