Advance climate

Advance Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Advance 1 S, 1.2 km from Advance, elevation 360 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Advance 1 S. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 204 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 17
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 7

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 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
28°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8
24°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26
20°FMar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 8
16°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 11Feb 2Jan 24

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 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 30
32°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
28°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 26
24°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 10
20°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 26
16°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 10

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°F203197191187183180175171164
32°F225217212208204201196191185
28°F250243237231227223219213205
24°F278269263258252247241235227
20°F304295289282277271266259251
16°F333321313306300295289280272

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
4,431
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,460
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,823
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,468
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,268
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,202
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,260

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98606
February77609
March590371
April27524239
May63120523
June4312759
July0432897
August1369834
September32173591
October25524265
November579265
December87309

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 1.2 km from Advance. 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 USW00093825 (Advance 1 S). Public domain.