Maple Hill climate

Maple Hill Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eskridge, 26 km from Maple Hill, elevation 1411 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eskridge. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first November 1

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 7May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
32°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
28°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
24°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
20°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19

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 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
16°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 17

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°F188182178173170166162158150
32°F209202197193189185181176170
28°F231223217212209205200194188
24°F252244238233228222218212204
20°F272263256251246241235229221
16°F292282276271266260254247238

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
5,321
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,262
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,231
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,970
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,844
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,852
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,992

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14701
February90609
March687258
April37211170
May12885427
June9251693
July1393857
August2348811
September61149540
October30724235
November677141
December1,02403

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 26 km from Maple Hill. 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 USC00142602 (Eskridge). Public domain.