Dudley climate

Dudley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buffumville Lake, 8.2 km from Dudley, elevation 520 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buffumville Lake. 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 May 1 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 22

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 20May 17May 15May 12May 10May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 13May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21
28°FMay 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
20°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2

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 20Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 27
28°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 14Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
20°FOct 28Nov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17

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°F158153149145142139135131125
32°F180174169165162158155151143
28°F206199194190185181177171165
24°F230223218214210207202197189
20°F255247243238235230225220213
16°F279271265261257253248243236

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
6,688
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
544
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,559
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,474
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,532
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,728
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,063

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26000
February1,10200
March94606
April582249
May27221237
June6594479
July9207663
August17161609
September13756373
October467399
November749015
December1,08301

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 8.2 km from Dudley. 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 USC00190998 (Buffumville Lake). Public domain.