Templeton climate

Templeton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Birch Hill Dam, 9.6 km from Templeton, elevation 855 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Birch Hill Dam. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 12

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°FJun 3May 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 10May 5
32°FMay 19May 15May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
16°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10

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 9Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23Oct 31
24°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 11
20°FOct 20Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
16°FNov 4Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9

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°F145140135130126122118113106
32°F166160155152148145141137131
28°F193186181176172168163158152
24°F219212206201198193189183177
20°F241235229224220215211205198
16°F264257250245241237232226219

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
7,234
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
445
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,203
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,173
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,282
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,528
Growing degree days, base 60°F
909

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33000
February1,14800
March1,02504
April621144
May29917213
June8882446
July17175623
August34128560
September18639313
October535270
November81909
December1,13301

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 9.6 km from Templeton. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00190666 (Birch Hill Dam). Public domain.