Funkstown climate

Funkstown Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hagerstown 1 E, 3.5 km from Funkstown, elevation 532 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hagerstown 1 E. 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 April 11 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 9

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 9May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
32°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
28°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 14
24°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
20°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 11
16°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Feb 1Jan 22

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°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
24°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
20°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 14Dec 18Dec 23Jan 1
16°FDec 4Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Dec 31Jan 2Jan 10Jan 18

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°F195190185180176172167162155
32°F219212207203199195192187179
28°F245239233227223220216210203
24°F274266260255249245240234226
20°F304295289283278273267261251
16°F334325316308303298293286276

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
99% 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
5,017
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,095
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,981
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,704
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,591
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,630
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,797

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05200
February86504
March703025
April3603145
May11368424
June7219662
July0350815
August3312774
September65129514
October31114198
November629028
December91001

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 3.5 km from Funkstown. 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 USC00181790 (Hagerstown 1 E). Public domain.