Robinson climate

Robinson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Robinson, 3.3 km from Robinson, elevation 535 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Robinson. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 13, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first October 31

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 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11
32°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2
28°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
24°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
20°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23
16°FMar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19Feb 11

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 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 3
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 15
16°FNov 13Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25

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°F188181177173169165161156149
32°F208202198194190186181176168
28°F233226221215211207203198191
24°F258250244239234229224218211
20°F281274268262257252247241233
16°F306296290284278273267260251

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
5,170
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,249
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,268
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,002
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,872
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,871
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,995

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,12803
February90309
March694359
April33917197
May112112469
June8279721
July1359823
August3299761
September55151547
October30829229
November643149
December97606

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 3.3 km from Robinson. 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 USC00117345 (Robinson). Public domain.