Sutton climate

Sutton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bradford 2, 9.3 km from Sutton, elevation 815 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bradford 2. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 8

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

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 6Sep 10Sep 12Sep 15Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Oct 1
32°FSep 15Sep 18Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20Oct 27
24°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
16°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3

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°F1301241181131111071039992
32°F155148143139135131127121115
28°F180172167163158154150145139
24°F210204198193189184178172163
20°F234228222218214211207201193
16°F256249244239235232227223217

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
7,543
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
320
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,922
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,919
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,054
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,328
Growing degree days, base 60°F
738

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36700
February1,18300
March1,05206
April655134
May33211184
June11060404
July24128569
August4887504
September21032286
October552161
November84008
December1,17000

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 9.3 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 USC00270913 (Bradford 2). Public domain.