Steep Falls climate

Steep Falls Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for East Hiram, 12.4 km from Steep Falls, elevation 528 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for East Hiram. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 140 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 29, 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FJun 6Jun 2May 30May 27May 25May 22May 19May 16May 12
32°FMay 25May 20May 17May 14May 12May 10May 7May 4May 1
28°FMay 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 16
24°FApr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4
20°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24
16°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3
32°FSep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 12
28°FSep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23Oct 31
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
16°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 4

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°F134130126121119115111106101
32°F158152148144140137133129123
28°F186179172169165161157153146
24°F212206201197193189185180174
20°F234228224219215212208203196
16°F254247243239235232228224218

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
8,086
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
265
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,692
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,728
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,897
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,199
Growing degree days, base 60°F
644

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,47201
February1,27100
March1,11801
April697126
May3638154
June12848373
July33108539
August5379491
September22821259
October585148
November88505
December1,25400

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 12.4 km from Steep Falls. 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 USC00172238 (East Hiram). Public domain.