Ocean City climate

Ocean City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ocean City Muni AP, 4.7 km from Ocean City, elevation 12 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ocean City Muni AP. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 209 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 14

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

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°F206199194189185181176170163
32°F228222217213209206201195187
28°F256248242237233230226220214
24°F288276271265260255250243234
20°F318307302297292286278272262
16°F354338332326320313307301292

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
4,369
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,105
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,346
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,953
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,739
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,698
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,825

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January88609
February756012
March658037
April37610143
May15352368
June17206639
July1351815
August1306770
September30153573
October23226275
November506175
December753023

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 4.7 km from Ocean City. 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 USW00093786 (Ocean City Muni AP). Public domain.