Wheelwright climate

Wheelwright Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Clintwood 1W, 29.1 km from Wheelwright, elevation 1566 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Clintwood 1W. 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 16, a growing season of about 169 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 26

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 20May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 15May 9May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 3Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1
24°FApr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16
20°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Feb 28
16°FMar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16Feb 8

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 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Nov 1
28°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 4
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 16Dec 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°F172164159155151147142137131
32°F190183178174169165161156149
28°F211205200196192188183178171
24°F238231225220217212208203196
20°F268260254247243238233226220
16°F301291284277270264258252243

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
5,174
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
592
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,408
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,125
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,007
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,043
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,235

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02006
February83208
March693040
April3795154
May16237349
June30111531
July5199659
August7171629
September8364432
October3736162
November674029
December91809

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 29.1 km from Wheelwright. 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 USC00441825 (Clintwood 1W). Public domain.