New Market climate

New Market Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Farmington 3 Nw, 18.1 km from New Market, elevation 980 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Farmington 3 Nw. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 166 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 22

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 21May 16May 12May 9May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 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 20Sep 23Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
28°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
20°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24
16°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3

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°F165159154150147143139135128
32°F186179174170166163158154147
28°F208202198194189185181175168
24°F227221217213210206201197190
20°F245238233229225221217213206
16°F258251247243239235231225219

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
7,626
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
635
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,649
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,614
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,692
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,881
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,189

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,53900
February1,26100
March1,00608
April566368
May23934283
June42141549
July6233691
August18159606
September14660373
October5136104
November929010
December1,36200

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 18.1 km from New Market. 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 USC00212737 (Farmington 3 Nw). Public domain.