Bliss Corner climate

Bliss Corner Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Bedford Coop, 3.3 km from Bliss Corner, elevation 18 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Bedford Coop. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 16

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 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
32°FApr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
28°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18
24°FApr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 9
20°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1
16°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24Feb 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 9Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
32°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18
28°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
24°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
20°FNov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 24
16°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 14Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 6

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°F204197192188184180176171164
32°F225220215212208205201196190
28°F248242238234230226222218212
24°F271263258254249246242237230
20°F288282277273268265261255248
16°F308300295291287281277271265

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
5,482
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
918
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,530
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,301
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,235
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,322
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,552

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08201
February94601
March83906
April517360
May22526274
June33151568
July1329793
August2280744
September50115515
October28315224
November598044
December90705

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 3.3 km from Bliss Corner. 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 USC00195246 (New Bedford Coop). Public domain.