Milton climate

Milton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Whiting Field Nas South, 8.2 km from Milton, elevation 178 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Whiting Field Nas South. 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 November 27, a growing season of about 276 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 16, first November 14
Median at 32°F
last February 28, first November 27
Median at 28°F
last February 13, first December 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 5Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28Feb 20
32°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 12Feb 1
28°FMar 12Mar 5Feb 27Feb 19Feb 13Feb 6Jan 31Jan 23Jan 9
24°FFeb 28Feb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 26Jan 20Jan 12Jan 3Dec 27
20°FFeb 10Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 17Jan 12Jan 6Jan 1Dec 21
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°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28Dec 4
32°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 16Jan 2
28°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 4Dec 12Dec 24Dec 31Jan 7Jan 14Jan 29
24°FDec 3Dec 16Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 13Jan 20Jan 30Feb 6
20°FDec 10Dec 24Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 15Jan 20Jan 30Feb 5
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°F277266258252246241235228219
32°F314300291283276269263256245
28°F350336328319311305297287275
24°F365365365357346337330320307
20°F365365365365365365365354334
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
96% of years
24°F or colder
68% of years
20°F or colder
30% of years
16°F or colder
7% 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
1,348
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,911
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,706
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,926
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,226
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,640
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,195

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January38016181
February25324226
March14263392
April40132542
May4311772
June0498948
July05801,045
August05611,026
September0443892
October32206639
November17352340
December32226224

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 8.2 km from Milton. 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 USW00053847 (Whiting Field Nas South). Public domain.