Leeds climate

Leeds Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Turner, 11.2 km from Leeds, elevation 565 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Turner. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 25

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 26May 21May 18May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 2
32°FMay 13May 9May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FApr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6
24°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 29
20°FApr 9Apr 6Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19
16°FApr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12
32°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 27
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11

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°F154149145142138135131127120
32°F180174169166162158155150143
28°F208201196193189185181176169
24°F230224220216213209205201195
20°F249243238235231228224221215
16°F267260255251248244239235229

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
7,676
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
353
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,980
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,980
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,112
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,377
Growing degree days, base 60°F
785

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,41800
February1,21500
March1,08404
April677028
May34310173
June10857401
July19143589
August31110544
September19132298
October527167
November84908
December1,21500

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 11.2 km from Leeds. 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 USC00178817 (Turner). Public domain.