Edgecomb climate

Edgecomb Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wiscasset AP, 6.5 km from Edgecomb, elevation 68 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wiscasset 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 May 8 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 21

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 1May 28May 25May 22May 20May 18May 15May 12May 8
32°FMay 20May 16May 13May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16
16°FApr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 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 13Sep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 24Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
24°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 26Nov 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°F144139135132129125122118112
32°F168162158155151147144139135
28°F197189185181177173170166160
24°F224217213209205202198194187
20°F249242237234230226221216210
16°F268261256251248244240236230

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
7,232
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
321
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,992
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,953
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,067
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,331
Growing degree days, base 60°F
742

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32800
February1,13700
March99803
April651021
May3616144
June11146386
July19132578
August28108545
September17828306
October505173
November79109
December1,12701

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 6.5 km from Edgecomb. 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 USW00094623 (Wiscasset AP). Public domain.