Yonah climate

Yonah Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sautee 3W, 3.1 km from Yonah, elevation 1591 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sautee 3W. 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 April 7 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 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°FMay 8May 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
32°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
28°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 6
24°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 14
20°FMar 20Mar 11Mar 4Feb 27Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Feb 2Jan 25
16°FMar 8Feb 28Feb 18Feb 10Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 18Jan 6

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 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
28°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
24°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 21
20°FNov 21Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 10
16°FDec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 11Jan 18Jan 27

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°F202197192189185181176170163
32°F230222217212208205200196187
28°F259249243237232228224219213
24°F292282275269263257251243235
20°F328318308302294288282275262
16°F358347338332326318309301290

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
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
93% 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
3,878
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
800
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,375
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,903
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,605
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,487
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,547

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January814016
February645023
March511186
April26212226
May10348411
June10154594
July1247711
August2225688
September4699503
October24715254
November505171
December732023

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 3.1 km from Yonah. 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 USC00097827 (Sautee 3W). Public domain.