Clayton climate

Clayton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Woodstown Pittsgrov 4E, 14.1 km from Clayton, elevation 98 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Woodstown Pittsgrov 4E. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 206 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 23
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 14

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 11May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
32°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
28°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
24°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27
20°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 11
16°FMar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 7Feb 3Jan 24

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 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
32°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
28°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
24°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17
20°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20Dec 24Dec 30Jan 6
16°FDec 9Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26Dec 30Jan 2Jan 8Jan 14Jan 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°F200194189185180176172166158
32°F227220215210206201197191184
28°F257248241236231227222216208
24°F284275268262257252248242233
20°F309301295290285280275268259
16°F337328322315310305300294287

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
99% 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
4,510
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,207
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,408
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,054
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,859
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,823
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,939

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95009
February80106
March650139
April33512173
May12273417
June14239675
July0386851
August1315780
September36154569
October24925259
November543269
December809015

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 14.1 km from Clayton. 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 USC00289910 (Woodstown Pittsgrov 4E). Public domain.