Beechmont climate

Beechmont Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rochester Ferry, 13.1 km from Beechmont, elevation 390 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rochester Ferry. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 187 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 2, 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 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
32°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
28°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 17
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
20°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 16
16°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 15Feb 9Feb 2

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°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21
32°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Dec 1
20°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
16°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22Dec 29

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°F185179175171167164160155149
32°F207201195192187183179175168
28°F232224219215211206202197190
24°F261251246241236231226220214
20°F287278271265259253248242234
16°F312304296291284278272265255

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
4,498
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,263
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,576
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,224
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,018
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,954
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,035

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January975010
February776016
March596272
April29322229
May9298473
June8256697
July1376840
August2327790
September44154560
October27527252
November583265
December854013

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 13.1 km from Beechmont. 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 USC00156882 (Rochester Ferry). Public domain.