Otsego climate

Otsego Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bloomingdale, 23.5 km from Otsego, elevation 736 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bloomingdale. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 26

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 1May 27May 24May 20May 18May 14May 11May 7May 2
32°FMay 22May 17May 14May 10May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
28°FMay 13May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
24°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
16°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 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 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 26
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22

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°F154147142138134129125121115
32°F177169164160156151147142135
28°F201194190186182177173168160
24°F228221215211207203199194188
20°F255247241236231227222216209
16°F280272266260255250245239229

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
6,601
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
650
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,769
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,677
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,725
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,901
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,205

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25200
February1,08101
March924015
April569572
May26343276
June54139536
July12213666
August21173617
September13869387
October4448130
November767021
December1,07703

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 23.5 km from Otsego. 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 USC00200864 (Bloomingdale). Public domain.