Wendell climate

Wendell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Orange Muni AP, 9 km from Wendell, elevation 555 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Orange 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 May 4 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 20

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 29May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 10May 6May 2
32°FMay 17May 13May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7

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 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18Oct 23
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1Nov 4
24°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10

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°F153147142138134131127123117
32°F175169164160157153149145139
28°F200193188183179175171167160
24°F224217213209205201195191184
20°F247240235230227223218214206
16°F269262257253249245241235227

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
6,654
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
599
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,674
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,583
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,634
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,817
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,137

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,28000
February1,09200
March93807
April560360
May24626260
June57108501
July6224683
August15178628
September13956372
October4644104
November765016
December1,09301

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 km from Wendell. 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 USW00054756 (Orange Muni AP). Public domain.