Hancock climate

Hancock Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cacapon St Pk #2, 23.4 km from Hancock, elevation 958 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cacapon St Pk #2. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first November 1

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 25May 19May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 19
32°FMay 13May 6May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
24°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27
16°FMar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 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 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 17Dec 21Dec 28

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°F176170164161156152147141134
32°F201195189185180176171164155
28°F223217212208205201197191182
24°F250242236231227224219214207
20°F278269263257253249244238231
16°F303294288284279273268261253

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
5,376
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
800
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,505
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,263
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,173
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,227
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,435

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06804
February89005
March756133
April40610143
May17150351
June32159578
July2270733
August8217674
September8883447
October3609164
November651035
December94607

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 23.4 km from Hancock. 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 USC00461324 (Cacapon St Pk #2). Public domain.