Limerick climate

Limerick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hollis, 10.6 km from Limerick, elevation 304 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hollis. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 10

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 8Jun 4Jun 1May 29May 27May 24May 21May 18May 14
32°FMay 28May 23May 20May 17May 14May 12May 9May 7May 3
28°FMay 13May 9May 7May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
24°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
20°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
16°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15

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 6Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12
28°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21Oct 27
24°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
20°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20
16°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2

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°F13212612211911511210810498
32°F152147144140136133129125118
28°F180173168164159155152148142
24°F207202196192189184180175168
20°F232225221217213210206201194
16°F254247243239235232227223217

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
7,944
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
313
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,761
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,790
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,960
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,266
Growing degree days, base 60°F
708

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,43800
February1,23900
March1,09103
April700124
May3739149
June12256386
July26131570
August4792510
September22724263
October577151
November87805
December1,22800

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 10.6 km from Limerick. 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 USC00173862 (Hollis). Public domain.