Markle climate

Markle Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Huntington, 13.8 km from Markle, elevation 725 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Huntington. 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 May 1 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 20, 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 26May 20May 17May 13May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 27
32°FMay 16May 10May 7May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 5
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21
20°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27

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 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
28°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
24°FOct 22Oct 27Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 23
20°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 10Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21

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°F162156152148145141137133127
32°F185179174170166162158153146
28°F210202197193189185180175167
24°F236229223219214210205200194
20°F262253247242237231226221214
16°F285277270263259255249243234

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
6,170
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
780
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,212
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,059
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,040
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,153
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,399

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23502
February1,04002
March855124
April4796106
May19553336
June32173591
July4254715
August10199654
September10783430
October40611151
November735026
December1,07104

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 13.8 km from Markle. 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 USC00124181 (Huntington). Public domain.