Laurel climate

Laurel Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Salisbury 2N, 16.6 km from Laurel, elevation 20 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Salisbury 2N. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 10, a growing season of about 222 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 15, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 20, first November 24

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

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 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11
32°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
28°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
24°FNov 18Nov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24Jan 1
20°FDec 3Dec 10Dec 17Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 11Jan 20
16°FDec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 15Jan 19Jan 25Feb 3

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°F219213208203199196191185177
32°F247238232227222218214209202
28°F275266259254249244239234226
24°F304292287280275269263257247
20°F330321311306300295290282274
16°F365350339334328321312305295

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
91% 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
3,799
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,425
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,133
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,663
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,352
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,214
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,236

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January831016
February681023
March563481
April26425243
May79110497
June7274717
July0420885
August0355820
September21195624
October19440321
November454294
December707033

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 16.6 km from Laurel. 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 USC00188004 (Salisbury 2N). Public domain.