Oberlin climate

Oberlin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oberlin Fire Twr, 2.1 km from Oberlin, elevation 65 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oberlin Fire Twr. 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 March 1 and the first fall freeze around November 24, a growing season of about 267 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 19, first November 11
Median at 32°F
last March 1, first November 24
Median at 28°F
last February 12, first December 11

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°FApr 9Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3Feb 24
32°FMar 26Mar 18Mar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 14Feb 1
28°FMar 11Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 25Jan 11
24°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 16Jan 9Dec 29
20°FFeb 15Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 16Jan 11Jan 6Dec 28
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°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Dec 1
32°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8Dec 17
28°FNov 17Nov 24Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 20Dec 27Jan 2Jan 15
24°FDec 2Dec 12Dec 22Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 20Feb 3
20°FDec 20Dec 31Jan 3Jan 7Jan 10Jan 15Jan 19Jan 31Feb 6
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°F265257249243237232226219213
32°F302289281273267261255248239
28°F343331322311305297288280267
24°F365365362352341334329319303
20°F365365365365365365365353336
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
98% of years
24°F or colder
75% of years
20°F or colder
31% of years
16°F or colder
8% 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
1,851
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,411
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,735
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,011
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,392
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,906
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,570

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4956110
February33812158
March19842329
April68109493
May9272729
June0424874
July0499964
August0505970
September3360807
October63142546
November24429268
December43311144

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 2.1 km from Oberlin. 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 USC00166938 (Oberlin Fire Twr). Public domain.