Greenbush Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Old Town 2 W. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 137 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 28, first September 18
- Median at 32°F
- last May 13, first September 28
- Median at 28°F
- last April 30, first October 11
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 9 | Jun 5 | Jun 2 | May 31 | May 28 | May 25 | May 22 | May 18 | May 14 |
| 32°F | May 28 | May 23 | May 19 | May 16 | May 13 | May 11 | May 7 | May 3 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | May 13 | May 8 | May 4 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 28 | Apr 25 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 8 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Apr 20 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 8 | Apr 6 | Apr 4 | Apr 2 | Mar 31 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Apr 10 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 24 | Mar 20 | Mar 16 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 5 | Sep 9 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 |
| 32°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 130 | 125 | 121 | 117 | 113 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 96 |
| 32°F | 155 | 149 | 145 | 140 | 137 | 134 | 130 | 125 | 117 |
| 28°F | 183 | 174 | 170 | 165 | 161 | 157 | 153 | 149 | 142 |
| 24°F | 210 | 204 | 199 | 194 | 191 | 186 | 182 | 177 | 168 |
| 20°F | 234 | 228 | 223 | 219 | 215 | 211 | 207 | 202 | 196 |
| 16°F | 254 | 249 | 244 | 239 | 236 | 232 | 229 | 224 | 218 |
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
- 8,146
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 235
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 3,617
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 2,643
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 1,816
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,132
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 597
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,496 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,275 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,105 | 0 | 2 |
| April | 714 | 0 | 15 |
| May | 387 | 5 | 128 |
| June | 143 | 32 | 341 |
| July | 29 | 106 | 542 |
| August | 55 | 72 | 482 |
| September | 238 | 20 | 249 |
| October | 577 | 1 | 51 |
| November | 876 | 0 | 6 |
| December | 1,251 | 0 | 0 |
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 17.3 km from Greenbush. 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 USW00094644 (Old Town 2 W). Public domain.