Cayuga climate

Cayuga Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Perrysville 4 Wnw, 14.4 km from Cayuga, elevation 611 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Perrysville 4 Wnw. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 24

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 18May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 17
20°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5
16°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1Feb 23

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 21Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
32°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15Nov 22
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 6
16°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18

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°F171165160157153148144140134
32°F191185180175171167163158150
28°F212205200197192188184179172
24°F240231225219215211206200193
20°F266257251245240235229222214
16°F288279271266261256251244235

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
5,650
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,003
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,775
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,562
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,483
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,525
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,694

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19603
February97005
March765345
April40313156
May14488417
June20227657
July3288750
August7241699
September79121494
October34023208
November687144
December1,03705

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 14.4 km from Cayuga. 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 USC00126830 (Perrysville 4 Wnw). Public domain.