Augusta climate

Augusta Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Augusta State AP, 1.8 km from Augusta, elevation 350 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Augusta State AP. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 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°FMay 20May 16May 13May 10May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
28°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14
16°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 12Mar 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 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31
28°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4
16°FNov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14

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°F165159156152149145141137132
32°F192186181176172169165161154
28°F215209205201197194190185179
24°F237231227223219216212208202
20°F257250246242239236232228222
16°F272266262258254251247242236

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
7,278
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
428
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,223
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,185
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,282
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,515
Growing degree days, base 60°F
894

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38100
February1,17200
March1,02303
April635030
May31311189
June9067428
July13171623
August20139584
September16038333
October493281
November810010
December1,17001

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 1.8 km from Augusta. 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 USW00014605 (Augusta State AP). Public domain.