Willards climate

Willards Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl AP, 15.2 km from Willards, elevation 48 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 201 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 9

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 13May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 9
32°FApr 30Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28
28°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 13
24°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Feb 26
20°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 16Feb 6
16°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 11Feb 5Jan 31Jan 20

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 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 29
24°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 15
20°FNov 17Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 22Dec 28Jan 3
16°FDec 3Dec 10Dec 18Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 8Jan 14Jan 23

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°F198191186181177172168162155
32°F221215210205201197192186177
28°F250241235230225221217212204
24°F277269263257252247241236228
20°F311302293287281275269262252
16°F342330324317310305299291280

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
97% 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
4,210
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,301
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,701
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,296
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,056
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,979
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,062

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January876016
February737017
March614261
April31922199
May12285430
June16248683
July0400865
August1337801
September30171591
October23534281
November505284
December757130

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 15.2 km from Willards. 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 USW00093720 (Salisbury Wicomico Rgnl AP). Public domain.