Alfred climate

Alfred Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sanford 2 Nnw, 5.5 km from Alfred, elevation 289 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sanford 2 Nnw. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 26, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 7

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°FJun 6Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 26May 24May 22May 19May 15
32°FMay 29May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 10May 7May 2
28°FMay 17May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
24°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
20°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27
16°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14

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 6Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1
32°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 24
24°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
16°FOct 30Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1

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°F13012512111811411110810397
32°F153147143139136133129124118
28°F177170164161157153150146139
24°F204197192188183179175170162
20°F230224217213209205200195187
16°F251246241236233229224219211

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
7,431
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
351
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,015
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,997
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,120
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,381
Growing degree days, base 60°F
783

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,37000
February1,16800
March1,03204
April643140
May34311170
June11060402
July22137580
August33108539
September18633307
October527169
November82709
December1,17000

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 5.5 km from Alfred. 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 USC00177479 (Sanford 2 Nnw). Public domain.