Ramsey climate

Ramsey Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ramsey, 0.7 km from Ramsey, elevation 600 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ramsey. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first October 30

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 14May 8May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
32°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
28°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
24°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 7
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 13

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21
32°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
20°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 11
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23

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°F182176171168163159154149143
32°F203197193189185181176171163
28°F228221215212207203199194187
24°F254246240234229225220216209
20°F278270263258253248243237230
16°F300291283277273267261255247

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
5,539
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,016
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,828
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,603
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,511
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,546
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,709

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17902
February94406
March739246
April38110161
May13976409
June17222655
July2312775
August5259719
September74115492
October34419200
November691141
December1,02405

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 0.7 km from Ramsey. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00117126 (Ramsey). Public domain.