Stark climate

Stark Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for York Pond, 12.7 km from Stark, elevation 1519 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for York Pond. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around September 22, a growing season of about 122 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, first September 11
Median at 32°F
last May 23, first September 22
Median at 28°F
last May 8, first October 2

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

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°FAug 29Sep 2Sep 5Sep 8Sep 11Sep 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 24
32°FSep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3
28°FSep 19Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 19
24°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28Nov 2
20°FOct 11Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
16°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24

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°F1161091051019793888374
32°F139133128125122117113108101
28°F166159154150146142138132125
24°F192186181176172168163159153
20°F216210206201197193190185178
16°F235228224220217214210205198

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
9,075
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
155
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,186
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,296
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,534
Growing degree days, base 55°F
907
Growing degree days, base 60°F
439

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,57200
February1,35800
March1,22601
April801013
May4416119
June18230306
July7562453
August10642402
September29914201
October665035
November98004
December1,37000

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 12.7 km from Stark. 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 USC00279966 (York Pond). Public domain.