Versailles climate

Versailles Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for N Vernon 2 Ese, 31 km from Versailles, elevation 743 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for N Vernon 2 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 31

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 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 10May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
28°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
24°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 10
20°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 3Feb 25
16°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12

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 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23Dec 1
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 16Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 27

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°F181175169164161157153148140
32°F201194190184180176171166158
28°F226217213208203199194189180
24°F251244238234229223219213206
20°F278269264258253247241235227
16°F302294286281275270264258249

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
4,775
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,096
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,297
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,974
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,789
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,748
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,850

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03707
February822015
March632472
April30722220
May11491445
June12225663
July1319783
August2283745
September57130524
October28522239
November597163
December910013

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 31 km from Versailles. 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 USC00126435 (N Vernon 2 Ese). Public domain.