Welcome climate

Welcome Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fairmont, 12.6 km from Welcome, elevation 1187 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fairmont. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 24

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 15May 11May 8May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
28°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
20°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15
16°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10

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 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
16°FNov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Nov 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°F169163159156152149145140134
32°F189183178174171167164159152
28°F208201197193189186182178172
24°F227219215211207202198194187
20°F244236231227223219215211203
16°F259251246242238233230223216

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
7,608
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
773
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,860
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,823
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,891
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,069
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,357

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,54200
February1,28100
March1,034011
April585366
May22942301
June31178597
July6266725
August13199651
September12478409
October4859121
November921011
December1,35800

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 12.6 km from Welcome. 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 USC00212698 (Fairmont). Public domain.