Stafford climate

Stafford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hudson, 16.6 km from Stafford, elevation 1867 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hudson. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first October 30

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 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
28°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
24°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10
20°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1
16°FMar 27Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17

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 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24
32°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
20°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10Dec 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°F186179174169167163159154147
32°F204198193189185180176171165
28°F228219213209205201196191183
24°F248240234229224219215210202
20°F267260255250245239233227219
16°F293283276270265260255248239

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
4,711
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,624
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,875
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,549
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,366
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,320
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,406

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,01102
February815014
March596277
April31120214
May100115484
June6336780
July1486950
August1423886
September38208621
October25934281
November621154
December95503

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 16.6 km from Stafford. 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 USC00143847 (Hudson). Public domain.