Bedford climate

Bedford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bedford, 0.9 km from Bedford, elevation 1190 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bedford. 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 15, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 26

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 16May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 6
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27

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 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
20°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
16°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 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°F172167163159155152148143137
32°F192186181177173169165161154
28°F211205200196192188184179172
24°F235227221215211208204199192
20°F255247241236230226221216209
16°F274266260255250245240234225

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
6,294
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
990
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,524
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,368
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,336
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,425
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,641

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32800
February1,07203
March815137
April4536117
May17458359
June18208640
July2328790
August6271730
September94106465
October39113172
November782022
December1,15901

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 0.9 km from Bedford. 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 USC00130576 (Bedford). Public domain.