Kent Acres climate

Kent Acres Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dover, 2.3 km from Kent Acres, elevation 30 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dover. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 214 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 16

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 5Apr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
32°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
28°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 8
24°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26
20°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 8
16°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Feb 1Jan 24

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 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
32°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
28°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3
24°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20
20°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 20Dec 25Jan 1Jan 7
16°FDec 10Dec 19Dec 25Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 12Jan 18Jan 28

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°F210204199195191187182177169
32°F234227223218214211207202195
28°F261253247242238233228224217
24°F288280273268263258252247239
20°F315306300295291286280272262
16°F346333327321314309303297290

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
97% 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
4,195
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,334
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,764
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,362
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,118
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,034
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,106

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January899011
February750014
March623254
April30721204
May10789447
June12259698
July0401866
August0347812
September26179603
October21434299
November493287
December764024

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 2.3 km from Kent Acres. 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 USC00072730 (Dover). Public domain.