Leesburg climate

Leesburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Warsaw, 7.8 km from Leesburg, elevation 815 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Warsaw. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 30

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 25May 19May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 14May 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
28°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21
20°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 9
16°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28

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 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 1Oct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
28°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FNov 1Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
20°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 9
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 24

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°F168161156152148145140135128
32°F191184179174170166161155149
28°F217210205200195191187181174
24°F243235230226221217213206198
20°F266258252246242237233228220
16°F289280273269264258253246238

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
6,178
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
761
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,197
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,039
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,023
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,134
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,378

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24601
February1,04002
March848227
April4757107
May20354331
June33168585
July6246705
August11191645
September10584432
October39510160
November732026
December1,08503

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 7.8 km from Leesburg. 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 USC00129240 (Warsaw). Public domain.