Brewster climate

Brewster Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elsmere 9 Ene, 28.5 km from Brewster, elevation 2654 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elsmere 9 Ene. 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 May 6 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 13

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 28May 24May 21May 18May 15May 13May 10May 7May 3
32°FMay 19May 15May 12May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 23
28°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
24°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
20°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 18
16°FApr 12Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 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 10Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25
24°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
20°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
16°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23

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°F149143139135132128124119114
32°F168162158154150146142138132
28°F188182177172169165161157151
24°F208202197191188184180175167
20°F229222216212207204199194188
16°F247241235231226222216211204

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
5,993
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,001
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,540
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,354
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,311
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,405
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,636

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16300
February97303
March765035
April4665111
May19750335
June30186606
July3345807
August8287744
September92117480
October40410164
November780026
December1,11401

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 28.5 km from Brewster. 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 USC00252680 (Elsmere 9 Ene). Public domain.