Bicknell climate

Bicknell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Freelandville, 10.4 km from Bicknell, elevation 550 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Freelandville. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 202 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 9, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 8

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 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 6
32°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
28°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12
24°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Feb 28
20°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 17
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5

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°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20Nov 26
24°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18
16°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29

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°F200193188183180176172167160
32°F220215210206202198194188181
28°F247238233228223219215211201
24°F271262256251246242237231223
20°F292284278272268263258250244
16°F317305298291286280275269260

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
5,028
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,198
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,279
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,997
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,849
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,832
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,946

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09106
February88307
March680362
April33817194
May10895455
June11260699
July1348812
August2304767
September51144544
October29225238
November622157
December94909

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 10.4 km from Bicknell. 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 USC00123104 (Freelandville). Public domain.