Fountain County climate

Fountain County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Attica 2E, 18.5 km from Fountain County, elevation 727 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Attica 2E. 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 17, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 28

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 20May 14May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19
32°FMay 8May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 14
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
16°FMar 30Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21

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 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 1Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
28°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 17

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°F173168163159156152148143137
32°F193188183179176172168164156
28°F217210206201198194189184177
24°F240233228224219216212207199
20°F263255250245241237232227219
16°F285277271266261256251245238

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
6,020
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
864
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,466
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,292
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,249
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,322
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,522

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26002
February1,02903
March818131
April4399134
May16167379
June26207631
July4253715
August9209665
September85102471
October37316181
November734033
December1,08305

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 18.5 km from Fountain 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 USC00120331 (Attica 2E). Public domain.