Stark County climate

Stark County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Princeville, 18.7 km from Stark County, elevation 750 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Princeville. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 26

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 16May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 17
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16
20°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7
16°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26

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 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17
32°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 10Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
24°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
20°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12

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°F173166162158155150146142135
32°F195188183178174170166161153
28°F215209205201197192188182173
24°F239231226221217213209203195
20°F260253247243238234229224217
16°F279272266262256251246241232

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
6,102
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
964
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,551
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,385
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,345
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,419
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,623

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,28601
February1,04202
March805240
April43212139
May15579397
June22223651
July4294755
August10236691
September98103458
October38215174
November739136
December1,12702

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 18.7 km from Stark County. 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 USC00117004 (Princeville). Public domain.