Hatfield climate

Hatfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newburgh L&d, 13.6 km from Hatfield, elevation 380 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newburgh L&d. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 214 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 13

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°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2
32°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
28°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11Mar 4
24°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20
20°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5
16°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 11Feb 7Feb 2Jan 24

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 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 30
24°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
20°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 20Dec 28
16°FNov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 29Jan 2Jan 13

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°F211205201198194191188183176
32°F232226222217214210207202196
28°F259251246241236232228222216
24°F283274269264259253248242235
20°F309299291285280275269262254
16°F332323316309303296291284273

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
99% 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
4,358
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,511
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,934
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,557
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,335
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,265
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,325

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98104
February78309
March582477
April26320241
May74141532
June2303751
July0422886
August0380845
September24198624
October22640296
November567359
December856012

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 13.6 km from Hatfield. 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 USC00126151 (Newburgh L&d). Public domain.