Bath climate

Bath Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lansing Capital City AP, 11.4 km from Bath, elevation 841 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lansing Capital City 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 27

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

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 17Sep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 28
28°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 10
24°FOct 23Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21

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°F160154148144139135131125119
32°F183177171167162158153148141
28°F208201195191187183178172165
24°F234225220216212207203198190
20°F259251245241237233228223216
16°F280272267263258253248243235

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
6,612
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
656
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,818
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,715
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,748
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,915
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
January1,27401
February1,09501
March925118
April544476
May24441283
June48138540
July10223677
August21177622
September14066383
October4468124
November767022
December1,10002

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 11.4 km from Bath. 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 USW00014836 (Lansing Capital City AP). Public domain.