Bowling Green climate

Bowling Green Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bowling Green 1 E, 2.1 km from Bowling Green, elevation 895 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bowling Green 1 E. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 13, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 2

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 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 11
32°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30
28°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
24°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 6
20°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 25
16°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 14

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 25Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 5
28°FOct 18Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8
16°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 20

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°F188181176171166163158152144
32°F211205199194188184179173165
28°F234226221217213209205199190
24°F257249243238234230225220214
20°F279271265260255250245239231
16°F296288282276272267263257249

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
5,387
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,144
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,080
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,829
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,712
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,723
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,863

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17302
February92809
March712355
April35517186
May13782416
June17228661
July2349812
August4304766
September74133511
October31225233
November656255
December1,01807

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 2.1 km from Bowling Green. 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 USC00230856 (Bowling Green 1 E). Public domain.