Adams County climate

Adams County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Corning, 6.8 km from Adams County, elevation 1190 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Corning. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 168 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 23

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 21May 16May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13
28°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
24°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
20°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16Mar 10
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1

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 20Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26
28°FOct 4Oct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
20°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28
16°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7

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°F167161157153149146141136130
32°F188181176172168163159153147
28°F208201196191187183179173166
24°F227219214211207203200195186
20°F250241235229224220215210202
16°F270262255250244240234229221

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
6,509
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
855
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,256
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,126
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,122
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,236
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,480

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34200
February1,08802
March843129
April4875105
May19947328
June27176600
July3288750
August10235690
September11191436
October41411159
November807023
December1,17901

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 6.8 km from Adams County. 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 USC00131833 (Corning). Public domain.