Babbitt climate

Babbitt Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Babbitt, 0.7 km from Babbitt, elevation 1481 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Babbitt. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around September 14, a growing season of about 108 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 28, first September 14
Median at 28°F
last May 13, first September 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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 16Jun 6Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 21May 17May 11
28°FMay 29May 25May 20May 17May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 29
24°FMay 18May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20
20°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
16°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2

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 29Sep 4Sep 8Sep 12Sep 14Sep 17Sep 21Sep 25Sep 29
28°FSep 10Sep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 11
24°FSep 19Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 23
20°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 30Nov 4
16°FOct 13Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14

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°F10610094898479736654
32°F1301241171121081051009486
28°F154146141137132128124119110
24°F175169163158153148144137130
20°F197191185180176171166160152
16°F216210205200196192188183176

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
10,467
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
194
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,090
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,253
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,529
Growing degree days, base 55°F
931
Growing degree days, base 60°F
478

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,88900
February1,59500
March1,33203
April860013
May4596121
June16736327
July8286470
August12052398
September35813169
October766027
November1,17801
December1,66300

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 0.7 km from Babbitt. 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 USC00210387 (Babbitt). Public domain.