Syracuse climate

Syracuse Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Syracuse 1NE, 1.7 km from Syracuse, elevation 3308 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Syracuse 1NE. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 19

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 26May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 14May 9May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
24°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18Mar 12
16°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 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 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14
32°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21
28°FOct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
24°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 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°F162155151148144141137133127
32°F178173170165162158154150143
28°F198192186183179175171167161
24°F221213208202198194190186179
20°F241233227223218214210204197
16°F262253249244239235229223215

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
5,424
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,217
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,012
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,776
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,688
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,731
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,909

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08701
February87405
March675048
April3986149
May15467391
June17254687
July2403866
August4331792
September67142529
October35913194
November729026
December1,06001

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 1.7 km from Syracuse. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00148038 (Syracuse 1NE). Public domain.