Cutler climate

Cutler Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eastport, 32.3 km from Cutler, elevation 85 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eastport. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first November 6

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 28May 22May 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 30
32°FMay 11May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
20°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6

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 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 8Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
24°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1
20°FNov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 3Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 2Dec 5Dec 7Dec 11Dec 14Dec 19

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°F169163158153149145140135128
32°F197190186182178173169164156
28°F225219214211207203199194187
24°F248241236233229226222218212
20°F265259254250246243239234228
16°F281274269264261257252247242

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
7,404
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
125
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,568
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,523
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,651
Growing degree days, base 55°F
952
Growing degree days, base 60°F
436

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31100
February1,13400
March1,03100
April69008
May420293
June18712277
July5552462
August4949465
September19111274
October492064
November75008
December1,09400

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 32.3 km from Cutler. 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 USC00172426 (Eastport). Public domain.