Juniata climate

Juniata Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hastings Muni AP, 6.8 km from Juniata, elevation 1940 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hastings Muni AP. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 12, 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 14May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
28°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29
24°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
20°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 5
16°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26

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 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
20°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
16°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 8

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°F175169165161158154150146139
32°F195188183179176172168164157
28°F216209204200196192187182174
24°F234227222217214210206200193
20°F255246241236231226221216207
16°F274265259254249245239233224

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
5,871
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,136
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,787
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,592
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,535
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,605
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,807

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19700
February97804
March748141
April4277132
May16766375
June16247681
July2373837
August4298759
September83127496
October38216181
November759028
December1,10801

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 6.8 km from Juniata. 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 USW00094949 (Hastings Muni AP). Public domain.