Kent County climate

Kent County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chestertown, 4.4 km from Kent County, elevation 40 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chestertown. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 15, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 21, first November 17

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°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
32°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20
28°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7
24°FMar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23
20°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13Feb 5
16°FMar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 14Feb 9Feb 3Jan 29Jan 18

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 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
32°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
28°FNov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
24°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17Dec 23
20°FNov 29Dec 4Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 4Jan 12
16°FDec 14Dec 22Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 15Jan 23Feb 1

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°F213206202198193189185180174
32°F237229225221217213209205198
28°F262255249245240236231227221
24°F294284278272267262256250242
20°F320311306301297291286279270
16°F352338331325318312307303297

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
95% 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
4,546
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,284
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,474
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,128
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,938
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,904
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,024

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96207
February80806
March658139
April32718185
May10986443
June13256693
July0392857
August1345809
September35162577
October25824248
November547161
December829013

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 4.4 km from Kent County. 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 USC00181750 (Chestertown). Public domain.