Sutton climate

Sutton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Clay Ctr, 19 km from Sutton, elevation 1788 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Clay Ctr. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 181 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first October 29

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

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 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22
32°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11

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°F182175170165162159155150143
32°F201195190186181177173168160
28°F222215211207203199195190181
24°F244236230225221216213209202
20°F265257250244239235231225217
16°F282273269264259254248243234

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
5,934
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,096
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,723
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,536
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,485
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,557
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,763

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21700
February99004
March768137
April4387128
May17267371
June17243676
July1356820
August4289750
September85120488
October37814182
November756029
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 19 km from Sutton. 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 USC00251684 (Clay Ctr). Public domain.