Matthews climate

Matthews Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hartford City 4 Ese, 18.5 km from Matthews, elevation 924 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hartford City 4 Ese. 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 22, a growing season of about 181 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first November 1

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 17May 12May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
32°FMay 7May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 14
20°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3
16°FMar 30Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 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 27Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
24°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
16°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 25

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°F178173168164161157153148142
32°F201194189185181178174168161
28°F226219213209205201196189183
24°F253245237232227223219213206
20°F273264259253248243238232224
16°F294285278273268263259252242

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
5,828
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
887
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,553
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,356
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,290
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,351
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,547

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20903
February1,00204
March806235
April42910137
May16670378
June21198627
July4270732
August9217673
September86101467
October35418191
November697139
December1,04505

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 Matthews. 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 USC00123777 (Hartford City 4 Ese). Public domain.