Baldwin climate

Baldwin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Franklin 3 Nw, 1.6 km from Baldwin, elevation 12 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Franklin 3 Nw. 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 February 11 and the first fall freeze around December 8, a growing season of about 303 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 1, first November 22
Median at 32°F
last February 11, first December 8
Median at 28°F
last January 27, first December 31

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°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19Feb 13Feb 1
32°FMar 11Mar 2Feb 25Feb 18Feb 11Feb 4Jan 30Jan 23Jan 12
28°FFeb 26Feb 15Feb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 14Jan 4Dec 22
24°FFeb 15Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 16Jan 10Jan 4Dec 30Dec 21
20°FFeb 10Feb 2Jan 29Jan 25Jan 17Jan 13Jan 10Jan 7Jan 3
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 12
32°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 23Jan 1Jan 9
28°FDec 1Dec 9Dec 17Dec 24Dec 31Jan 3Jan 9Jan 17Feb 1
24°FDec 16Dec 23Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 11Jan 18Jan 28Feb 5
20°FJan 1Jan 6Jan 8Jan 12Jan 15Jan 20Jan 27Feb 1Feb 7
16°F–––––––––

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°F300287279272266260254247238
32°F339328317309303294286276263
28°F365365357348340334327317303
24°F365365365365365365356345333
20°F365365365365365365365365363
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
83% of years
24°F or colder
46% of years
20°F or colder
12% of years
16°F or colder
3% 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
1,333
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,759
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,568
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,788
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,078
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,483
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,036

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January37813174
February24524229
March13863400
April37140554
May2323786
June0462912
July0527992
August0529994
September0410859
October34198630
November17549337
December32422212

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 1.6 km from Baldwin. 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 USC00163313 (Franklin 3 Nw). Public domain.