Clarence climate

Clarence Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lowden, 11.5 km from Clarence, elevation 738 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lowden. 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 10, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 20

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 20May 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
32°FMay 13May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
28°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
24°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 19
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1
24°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 14
20°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
16°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5

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°F165159154150147143139134127
32°F185179173169165161156151144
28°F205199193189185182177171164
24°F226220214209205200196191184
20°F248242236231227222217212204
16°F270261257252248243239233226

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
6,633
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
849
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,238
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,116
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,115
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,236
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,479

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38400
February1,12802
March866128
April4735106
May17765364
June15193628
July5274733
August11212666
September11886423
October43212143
November817120
December1,20701

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 11.5 km from Clarence. 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 USC00134963 (Lowden). Public domain.