Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hartford, 7.4 km from Canton, elevation 705 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hartford. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 14

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 3May 30May 26May 22May 19May 17May 14May 11May 6
32°FMay 21May 16May 12May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 24
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1
20°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
16°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15

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 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
28°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26Nov 1
24°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 7

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°F143137133129126122118114108
32°F166160155152148145142137131
28°F196189184179175171166161154
24°F220214210206202198194189181
20°F239233229225222219215211205
16°F258252247244240236233229223

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
8,167
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
245
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,633
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,677
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,849
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,155
Growing degree days, base 60°F
611

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,47400
February1,27300
March1,13502
April719022
May3778149
June14040353
July38100527
August5474485
September23222254
October581152
November89105
December1,25400

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 7.4 km from Canton. 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 USC00173570 (Hartford). Public domain.