Earlville climate

Earlville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Paw Paw 2S, 9.6 km from Earlville, elevation 889 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Paw Paw 2S. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 25

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 22May 16May 13May 10May 6May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 23
32°FMay 12May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 12
28°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
20°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2

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 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26
28°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 8
24°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 21
20°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 24Dec 1
16°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8

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°F169162157153150146141137131
32°F189183178174171167163158151
28°F212206201197193189185179172
24°F235227222217213210206201196
20°F255249243239235231227222215
16°F275267262258254248244240233

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
6,894
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
668
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,886
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,796
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,824
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,973
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,250

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,39900
February1,15100
March918118
April522385
May22345305
June37156569
July9220676
August16168617
September12470401
October4388135
November833017
December1,22401

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 9.6 km from Earlville. 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 USC00116661 (Paw Paw 2S). Public domain.