Solomons climate

Solomons Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Patuxent River Nas, 3.9 km from Solomons, elevation 39 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Patuxent River Nas. 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 March 29 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 230 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 29, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last March 18, first November 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°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
32°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 15
28°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7Feb 28
24°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 14
20°FMar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 9Feb 3Jan 28
16°FMar 2Feb 23Feb 14Feb 8Feb 3Jan 31Jan 25Jan 18Jan 6

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 21Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
32°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1
28°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
24°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 18Dec 23Dec 28Jan 3
20°FDec 5Dec 12Dec 19Dec 24Dec 29Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 24
16°FDec 17Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 21Jan 27Feb 5

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°F226219214211207203199194186
32°F251245240234230225221217210
28°F278269264259254250245239231
24°F306298293287282277272266257
20°F334325318312306302297290280
16°F365360346337333327318310302

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
86% 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
3,927
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,507
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,112
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,676
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,401
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,285
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,320

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January854015
February724017
March589364
April28027226
May81111495
June6297741
July0437902
August0383848
September17205638
October18741328
November463498
December726029

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 3.9 km from Solomons. 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 USW00013721 (Patuxent River Nas). Public domain.