Pelham climate

Pelham Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Camilla 3 Se, 8.4 km from Pelham, elevation 175 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Camilla 3 Se. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around November 18, a growing season of about 254 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 23, first November 6
Median at 32°F
last March 10, first November 18
Median at 28°F
last February 25, first December 1

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 9Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 3
32°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 24Feb 17
28°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4Jan 29
24°FMar 8Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 18Jan 4
20°FFeb 28Feb 16Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 14Jan 7Dec 31
16°FFeb 16Feb 9Feb 4Jan 31Jan 27Jan 19Jan 13Jan 7Jan 3

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 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 25
32°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 8
28°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14Dec 25Jan 4
24°FNov 25Dec 2Dec 10Dec 21Dec 30Jan 3Jan 8Jan 15Jan 30
20°FDec 9Dec 22Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 15Jan 22Jan 31Feb 10
16°FJan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 14Jan 24Jan 29Feb 1Feb 6Feb 13

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°F256246239234229225220215207
32°F284273265260254248243236228
28°F323308299290282275268260250
24°F359341333326318310302295280
20°F365365365357347337331321307
16°F365365365365365365365351333

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
92% of years
20°F or colder
62% of years
16°F or colder
23% 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
1,921
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,305
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,564
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,840
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,228
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,753
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,438

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4984111
February3587142
March23227288
April7990462
May10261716
June0422871
July0501966
August0482947
September2345793
October61134540
November25526248
December4257144

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 8.4 km from Pelham. 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 USC00091500 (Camilla 3 Se). Public domain.