Elma climate

Elma Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Hampton, 24.6 km from Elma, elevation 1148 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Hampton. 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 May 2 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 15

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

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 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
28°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
16°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26

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°F155149146143139136132127121
32°F173167163159155152148144137
28°F194187183179175171167162155
24°F215209204200196192188183176
20°F235228223218214210206201194
16°F251244240235231227223218211

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
7,872
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
521
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,419
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,402
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,499
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,711
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,045

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,56900
February1,29400
March1,033011
April596257
May26827255
June48121524
July13184635
August28133570
September17048341
October532596
November95108
December1,37200

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 24.6 km from Elma. 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 USC00135952 (New Hampton). Public domain.