Rushford climate

Rushford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rushford, 0.4 km from Rushford, elevation 770 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rushford. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 12

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 30May 26May 23May 20May 18May 15May 12May 9May 4
32°FMay 22May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 12May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14
24°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 24Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
16°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12

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 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26
24°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 5
20°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
16°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27

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°F147142137133129125122117111
32°F164158154151147143139135127
28°F184178173170165161158153147
24°F207200195191187183179173166
20°F229222216212209205200194187
16°F251243237233228224220214208

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
7,837
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
521
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,355
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,343
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,448
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,673
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,024

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,53600
February1,28500
March1,044011
April614252
May29023233
June58115507
July14193643
August30137572
September17448336
October538385
November91709
December1,33800

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 0.4 km from Rushford. 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 USC00217184 (Rushford). Public domain.