Wheatfield climate

Wheatfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wheatfield, 0.2 km from Wheatfield, elevation 665 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wheatfield. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 28

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 22May 16May 12May 8May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
24°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
20°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 27Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 8
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 26

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 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
28°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
24°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 21
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 17

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°F171165160156152149144140132
32°F191186181178173168163159152
28°F213207202198194189186181173
24°F238231226221217213208203197
20°F262254248243238234229224218
16°F283275268264259253248243235

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
6,179
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
830
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,294
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,144
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,119
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,221
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,454

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26700
February1,04702
March837026
April4779114
May19664349
June34191607
July6260719
August10205660
September10286438
October38114170
November731031
December1,09103

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 0.2 km from Wheatfield. 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 USC00129511 (Wheatfield). Public domain.