Buffalo climate

Buffalo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buffalo 2NE, 3.9 km from Buffalo, elevation 992 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buffalo 2NE. 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 April 30 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 21

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 26May 19May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 13May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
16°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14Mar 11

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 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23
28°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31Nov 3
24°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
20°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22
16°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30

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°F161154150147143140136131124
32°F182177172167163158155149142
28°F204198193188184181176171163
24°F222215211207203199195190184
20°F239233227223219215211206199
16°F254248243238234230225220213

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
8,211
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
532
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,346
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,348
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,462
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,689
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,037

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,64300
February1,34500
March1,08408
April618153
May27424245
June62116505
July13200652
August26139578
September17448337
October562479
November98006
December1,43200

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 3.9 km from Buffalo. 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 USC00211107 (Buffalo 2NE). Public domain.