Republic climate

Republic Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Clarksburg, 14.3 km from Republic, elevation 1554 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Clarksburg. 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 June 5 and the first fall freeze around September 10, a growing season of about 96 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 5, first September 10
Median at 28°F
last May 23, first September 28

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 24Jun 17Jun 12Jun 8Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 27May 23
28°FJun 6Jun 1May 29May 26May 23May 20May 16May 13May 8
24°FMay 26May 20May 16May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27
20°FMay 13May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
16°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 23Aug 31Sep 3Sep 6Sep 10Sep 14Sep 19Sep 24Oct 1
28°FSep 7Sep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 13
24°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
20°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
16°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20

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°F898174686357514537
32°F1181111051009691867969
28°F149141135131127122117111103
24°F175167163158154149145139131
20°F198190186181177173169163155
16°F220212207203200196192187179

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
9,812
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
141
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,975
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,135
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,415
Growing degree days, base 55°F
826
Growing degree days, base 60°F
398

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,64700
February1,46300
March1,32703
April86908
May4905105
June19627292
July10158422
August13536367
September32415186
October712132
November1,08000
December1,46800

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 14.3 km from Republic. 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 USC00201435 (Clarksburg). Public domain.