Webster climate

Webster Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bushnell 1 E, 7.1 km from Webster, elevation 80 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bushnell 1 E. 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 March 2 and the first fall freeze around December 5, a growing season of about 281 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 18, first November 22
Median at 32°F
last March 2, first December 5
Median at 28°F
last February 11, first December 29

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 7Apr 1Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3Feb 23
32°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 10Jan 31
28°FMar 13Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18Feb 11Feb 3Jan 28Jan 19Jan 6
24°FFeb 28Feb 18Feb 7Jan 31Jan 27Jan 18Jan 11Jan 4Dec 29
20°FFeb 13Feb 1Jan 29Jan 22Jan 12Jan 9Jan 5Dec 31Dec 28
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 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
32°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18Dec 27Jan 8
28°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 12Dec 21Dec 29Jan 3Jan 9Jan 18Jan 30
24°FDec 9Dec 21Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 13Jan 21Jan 30Feb 12
20°FDec 19Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 15Jan 25Jan 31Feb 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°F282270263256250245239232221
32°F316304296288281274267258248
28°F354340331321313305298288278
24°F365365365358350341333322305
20°F365365365365365365365355339
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
65% of years
20°F or colder
26% 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
968
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,666
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,829
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,022
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,261
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,585
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,038

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January29319231
February18629278
March11959411
April31144563
May2303766
June0417867
July0473938
August0477942
September0407856
October16236685
November10375425
December21829298

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 7.1 km from Webster. 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 USC00081163 (Bushnell 1 E). Public domain.