Cherryfield climate

Cherryfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jonesboro, 22.3 km from Cherryfield, elevation 194 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jonesboro. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 24

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 29May 25May 21May 18May 16May 13May 10May 8May 4
32°FMay 16May 11May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
28°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1
20°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
16°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11

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 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 12
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21Oct 29
28°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 21Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1
16°FNov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 25Nov 27Nov 30Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10

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°F151145141138134130127122116
32°F181172166162158154151147140
28°F205198194190185181176171164
24°F228222217214210206203199192
20°F249242238234231228223220214
16°F265259254250246242239235228

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
7,788
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
184
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,596
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,586
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,741
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,054
Growing degree days, base 60°F
522

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,42300
February1,20800
March1,06800
April70509
May4142103
June16823307
July4576496
August4269491
September19915273
October524159
November81004
December1,18100

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 22.3 km from Cherryfield. 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 USC00174183 (Jonesboro). Public domain.