Sagamore climate

Sagamore Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for E Sandwich, 7.7 km from Sagamore, elevation 150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for E Sandwich. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first November 5

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

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°F175168164160157153149144138
32°F199193189184180177173168163
28°F225220215211207203199195189
24°F253245240235231227223218212
20°F279271265260255251246241233
16°F301292287281276272267261253

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
6,051
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
417
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,558
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,389
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,396
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,568
Growing degree days, base 60°F
903

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10700
February95500
March89906
April578043
May2937197
June9153414
July16172621
August21132577
September12950371
October4003132
November648029
December91605

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 7.7 km from Sagamore. 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 USC00192372 (E Sandwich). Public domain.