Esther climate

Esther Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Farmington, 10.2 km from Esther, elevation 900 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Farmington. 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 21, a growing season of about 191 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 13, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 1

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 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11
32°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
28°FApr 18Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 15
24°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
20°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Feb 27Feb 22
16°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 7

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 27Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
16°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25

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°F188182177172168164160154147
32°F211205199195191187182177169
28°F234227222217213209205200193
24°F259251245240234230226220213
20°F281273267262257252246240232
16°F304295289282278272266260250

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
4,551
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,341
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,666
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,319
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,114
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,047
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,122

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00109
February788016
March592584
April28126237
May92109484
June8270712
July0394859
August2352815
September50153555
October26529262
November586269
December887012

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 10.2 km from Esther. 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 USC00232809 (Farmington). Public domain.