Vanderbilt climate

Vanderbilt Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gaylord, 12.8 km from Vanderbilt, elevation 1318 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gaylord. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 125 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 16
Median at 32°F
last May 25, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 13, first October 7

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 29Jun 19Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 3May 31May 27May 22
32°FJun 8Jun 3May 31May 28May 25May 22May 19May 15May 8
28°FMay 27May 22May 19May 17May 13May 9May 5May 1Apr 28
24°FMay 18May 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
20°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 5
16°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29

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°FAug 31Sep 6Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28
32°FSep 13Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 9
28°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21
24°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
20°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 17
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29

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°F12211511010610196908574
32°F146139133129125121118112106
28°F170163157153149144140135128
24°F193186181176173169164159153
20°F217210204200195190186182175
16°F235228223219215211207202196

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
8,789
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
246
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,461
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,562
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,779
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,115
Growing degree days, base 60°F
594

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,52000
February1,36100
March1,20905
April791124
May41513156
June14352365
July6395498
August8663442
September26320235
October642251
November98004
December1,31600

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 12.8 km from Vanderbilt. 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 USC00203096 (Gaylord). Public domain.