Wolcott climate

Wolcott Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Meriden Markham Muni AP, 16.8 km from Wolcott, elevation 103 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Meriden Markham Muni AP. 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 April 26 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first October 30

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 21May 17May 12May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 24
32°FMay 9May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 11
28°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30
24°FApr 12Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13
20°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 3
16°FMar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 20

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 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12
24°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6
16°FNov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 22

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°F171164160157152148144140134
32°F194187183179175170166162156
28°F218211207202198194190184179
24°F244236231227223219215210202
20°F271262257252247242238231226
16°F295287281275270265260254247

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
5,892
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
718
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,124
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,947
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,927
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,045
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,307

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15201
February99001
March842011
April489482
May21128291
June40126536
July3259721
August7216674
September9378436
October3898148
November689024
December98903

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 16.8 km from Wolcott. 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 USW00054788 (Meriden Markham Muni AP). Public domain.