Barry climate

Barry Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pittsfield #2, 21.8 km from Barry, elevation 670 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pittsfield #2. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 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°FMay 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
32°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
28°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19
24°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 26
16°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16

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°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
24°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 16Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21

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°F187179175171167164158153146
32°F209203197193189184180175167
28°F234226219215210207203197190
24°F257249243238233229224218212
20°F278272265261255251246241232
16°F300291285279275269264257249

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
100% 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
5,301
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,252
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,233
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,973
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,847
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,850
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,980

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16202
February92108
March708354
April34922196
May116105458
June12268706
July2367831
August3315778
September68141525
October31228229
November646254
December1,00407

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 21.8 km from Barry. 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 USC00116837 (Pittsfield #2). Public domain.