Buffalo climate

Buffalo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buffalo 2N, 2.9 km from Buffalo, elevation 1071 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buffalo 2N. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 25

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 17May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 18
32°FMay 8May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 5
28°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
24°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7Mar 1
16°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18

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 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 16

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°F174169162158154151147142135
32°F196189184179175171166160153
28°F220212207202198192187182174
24°F242234230225220215210205197
20°F263256250245240235231225214
16°F286277271265261256251245238

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
4,836
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,242
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,419
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,100
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,919
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,881
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,987

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04307
February818018
March622376
April32118208
May12089439
June11241679
July1384848
August4334795
September65144531
October29527242
November609262
December927013

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 2.9 km from Buffalo. 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 USC00231087 (Buffalo 2N). Public domain.