Putnam County climate

Putnam County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Federal Pt, 25.6 km from Putnam County, elevation 5 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Federal Pt. 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 January 31 and the first fall freeze around January 4, a growing season of about 337 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 16, first December 20
Median at 32°F
last January 31, first January 4
Median at 28°F
last January 21, first January 12

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°FMar 15Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3Jan 29Jan 19
32°FFeb 28Feb 20Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 24Jan 17Jan 10Jan 2
28°FFeb 19Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 21Jan 15Jan 10Jan 3Dec 26
24°FFeb 10Jan 31Jan 26Jan 20Jan 16Jan 10Jan 2Dec 30Dec 25
20°F–––––––––
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 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 16
32°FDec 7Dec 15Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 15Jan 22Feb 1
28°FDec 15Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 16Jan 24Jan 30Feb 7
24°FDec 18Dec 26Dec 31Jan 10Jan 15Jan 19Jan 25Jan 30Feb 10
20°F–––––––––
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°F338328318311305298291283272
32°F365360350343337330322312303
28°F365365365365365360349337326
24°F365365365365365365365365362
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
98% of years
32°F or colder
83% of years
28°F or colder
46% of years
24°F or colder
12% of years
20°F or colder
0% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
938
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,776
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,969
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,163
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,394
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,712
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,157

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January29813218
February18923267
March10264430
April21155584
May1320784
June0437887
July0508973
August0498963
September0405855
October12245698
November9180442
December22430294

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 25.6 km from Putnam County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00082915 (Federal Pt). Public domain.