Belleplain climate

Belleplain Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Estell Manor, 13.1 km from Belleplain, elevation 85 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Estell Manor. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first November 3

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 23May 18May 14May 10May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 21
32°FMay 12May 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 8
28°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
24°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
20°FMar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 12

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°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26
32°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3
20°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
16°FNov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 17Dec 22Dec 28Jan 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°F177171167163159155151146140
32°F202193188184180175170165158
28°F227219214210206201196190182
24°F255248242236232228223218211
20°F282274268262257253248242234
16°F309300295289283278271263255

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
4,863
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,081
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,065
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,755
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,608
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,622
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,776

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98907
February83408
March708136
April38514152
May15365381
June25206632
July1348812
August2292755
September52136535
October30119217
November570160
December845015

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 13.1 km from Belleplain. 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 USC00282805 (Estell Manor). Public domain.