Baldwin climate

Baldwin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jackson Whitehouse Nolf, 10.3 km from Baldwin, elevation 99 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jackson Whitehouse Nolf. 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 February 28 and the first fall freeze around December 3, a growing season of about 280 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 16, first November 20
Median at 32°F
last February 28, first December 3
Median at 28°F
last February 11, first December 27

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 7Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 21
32°FMar 23Mar 15Mar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 9Jan 30
28°FMar 8Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 11Feb 3Jan 28Jan 17Jan 4
24°FFeb 23Feb 13Feb 4Jan 31Jan 24Jan 17Jan 10Jan 3Dec 24
20°FFeb 14Feb 4Jan 31Jan 27Jan 20Jan 13Jan 9Jan 2Dec 24
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3Dec 11
32°FNov 11Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 26Jan 7
28°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 9Dec 18Dec 27Jan 3Jan 8Jan 18Feb 1
24°FDec 2Dec 14Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 20Jan 30Feb 9
20°FDec 16Dec 28Jan 2Jan 8Jan 13Jan 21Jan 28Feb 2Feb 10
16°F–––––––––

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°F282271263256249243237229219
32°F320305296288280273266258247
28°F365346334326318309300291278
24°F365365365365355344334326314
20°F365365365365365365365365343
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
92% of years
24°F or colder
60% of years
20°F or colder
20% of years
16°F or colder
3% 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
1,318
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,624
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,449
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,667
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,952
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,353
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,897

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January36616189
February25328228
March15952367
April44115521
May7278736
June0430880
July0515980
August0510975
September0404853
October35198628
November15850352
December29630244

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 10.3 km from Baldwin. 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 USW00063890 (Jackson Whitehouse Nolf). Public domain.