Sheffield climate

Sheffield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hampton, 15.3 km from Sheffield, elevation 1105 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 19, 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 19May 15May 12May 9May 7May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 25
20°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19Mar 13
16°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5

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 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
28°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
20°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
16°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1

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°F161156151148144140137133127
32°F180174170166162158155150144
28°F201195190187183180176171165
24°F223216211207203199195190184
20°F242236231226221218214210202
16°F261253248244240236231226218

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
7,363
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
712
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,824
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,767
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,824
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,997
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,289

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49900
February1,23000
March978014
April558375
May23142298
June34163579
July7244702
August17180628
September13771391
October4759124
November893013
December1,30300

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 15.3 km from Sheffield. 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 USC00133584 (Hampton). Public domain.