Meredith climate

Meredith Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Meredith 3 Nne, 4.5 km from Meredith, elevation 861 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Meredith 3 Nne. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 31

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 22May 18May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
28°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3
24°FApr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
20°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
32°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17

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°F164158153150146143140135128
32°F191183179175171167162157152
28°F215209204200197194190185179
24°F239233228224220217213208202
20°F260254249245241237234228223
16°F278271266261258254250246240

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
7,189
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
467
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,329
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,300
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,394
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,617
Growing degree days, base 60°F
973

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,35700
February1,15800
March1,02008
April624142
May28714221
June7080462
July8177634
August15142592
September15752349
October503179
November82408
December1,16700

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 4.5 km from Meredith. 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 USC00275350 (Meredith 3 Nne). Public domain.