Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Canton 4N, 6.5 km from Canton, elevation 250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Canton 4N. 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 March 22 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 230 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 22, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 7, first November 19

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°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 16
32°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7Feb 28
28°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15
24°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 12Feb 5Jan 29
20°FMar 4Feb 25Feb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 17Jan 4
16°FFeb 24Feb 9Feb 3Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 11Jan 5Dec 27

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°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
32°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 25
28°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 9
24°FNov 10Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 23Jan 2
20°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 8Dec 14Dec 24Dec 31Jan 3Jan 9Jan 20
16°FDec 5Dec 17Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Feb 4

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°F230221215211207203198193185
32°F253245240234230225220214206
28°F283274266260256251246240230
24°F319307297290283277269262254
20°F356341333326318311303295281
16°F365365365362352343335327311

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
94% of years
16°F or colder
68% 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
2,630
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,083
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,738
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,119
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,637
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,292
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,101

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January628274
February484486
March30621234
April12666397
May22220663
June0381831
July0496961
August0465930
September7312756
October11898451
November36511168
December573686

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 6.5 km from Canton. 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 USC00221389 (Canton 4N). Public domain.