Vineyard Haven climate

Vineyard Haven Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Edgartown, 10.3 km from Vineyard Haven, elevation 30 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Edgartown. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last April 2, 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 16May 10May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 19
32°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4
28°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
24°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4
20°FMar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 20
16°FMar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9Feb 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°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
32°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3
24°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 17
20°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 27Jan 4
16°FDec 6Dec 14Dec 20Dec 24Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 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°F191185180176173169164159153
32°F219212207203199195191187178
28°F248240234230226223219215207
24°F276268262258253248244239231
20°F303295289283278273268261253
16°F328319312306302298293288278

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
5,215
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
626
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,241
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,957
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,867
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,956
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,210

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99701
February86400
March80404
April527141
May2637218
June5576471
July3229691
August3217679
September5288486
October2848212
November539056
December82508

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 10.3 km from Vineyard Haven. 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 USC00192501 (Edgartown). Public domain.