Syracuse climate

Syracuse Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Northern Indiana WFO, 8.8 km from Syracuse, elevation 951 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Northern Indiana WFO. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first November 4

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 19May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 10May 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 9
28°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
24°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7
16°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 1Feb 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°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
24°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 14
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19Dec 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°F178172168164159156152148141
32°F201195190186182177173168162
28°F226220214210207203199193185
24°F250243238233230225221216210
20°F272264258253249244239234226
16°F293284278274268264260253244

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
6,154
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
745
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,213
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,052
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,027
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,131
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,368

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25701
February1,03703
March844227
April4696107
May19648332
June27158582
July6243702
August12198651
September10378426
October37711165
November735029
December1,09102

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 8.8 km from Syracuse. 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 USC00126400 (Northern Indiana WFO). Public domain.