Livingston County climate

Livingston County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chillicothe 2S, 1.3 km from Livingston County, elevation 780 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chillicothe 2S. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 187 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 5, 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 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
32°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
28°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 18
24°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
16°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 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 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 26
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 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°F185178173169166162158154147
32°F206199195191187183178173165
28°F230221216211208204200195188
24°F253244237232228223219214207
20°F270263257252247242238232223
16°F289281276271266261256248240

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
5,682
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,196
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,994
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,783
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,699
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,741
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,903

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22701
February97406
March734349
April38912162
May13584420
June12255693
July1379843
August3315776
September76127504
October34720205
November712138
December1,07103

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 1.3 km from Livingston County. 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 USC00231580 (Chillicothe 2S). Public domain.