Carver climate

Carver Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Plymouth Muni AP, 4 km from Carver, elevation 149 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Plymouth 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 27

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 24May 19May 17May 13May 10May 8May 5May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 12May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19
28°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
24°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 19
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6
16°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Feb 28Feb 23

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 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 13Oct 19
32°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 27
20°FNov 4Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 13Dec 17Dec 25

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°F167160155152148144140135129
32°F188182179174170166162158153
28°F213206201197192188185180173
24°F242233228223218214210205198
20°F270262255250245241236230222
16°F296287280275270265259253244

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
6,019
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
589
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,806
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,640
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,641
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,803
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,117

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11101
February96601
March87609
April567250
May28116221
June7392470
July9223679
August15187637
September11762396
October3967139
November665031
December94206

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 km from Carver. 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 USW00054769 (Plymouth Muni AP). Public domain.