Rawlings climate

Rawlings Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Frostburg 2, 14.6 km from Rawlings, elevation 2170 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Frostburg 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 17, first October 29

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

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 13
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24

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°F169163158155150146141136128
32°F191185180175171167162158151
28°F216209204200196191186180173
24°F240233227222218215211206199
20°F264254248244239235230225218
16°F286277272267261255250245238

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
6,396
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
434
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,645
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,504
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,508
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,659
Growing degree days, base 60°F
959

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20302
February1,02103
March890021
April512597
May25925257
June7280460
July16152601
August26122561
September14145360
October4515117
November752024
December1,05605

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 14.6 km from Rawlings. 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 USC00183415 (Frostburg 2). Public domain.