Frenchtown climate

Frenchtown Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Flemington 5 Nnw, 16.1 km from Frenchtown, elevation 265 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Flemington 5 Nnw. 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 21, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 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°FMay 22May 16May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 11May 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 9
28°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28
16°FMar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 15

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 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 9Dec 17
16°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 20Dec 27Jan 2

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°F177170164160156152148144137
32°F201194189184179175170164157
28°F225219214209206202197192182
24°F253246240235231227224219210
20°F280272266261256252247240234
16°F305297290286280275270264256

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
5,547
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
870
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,474
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,259
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,197
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,277
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,500

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11001
February94202
March797020
April4408115
May18444332
June32165584
July2299763
August5245705
September7798472
October36210167
November653033
December94606

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 16.1 km from Frenchtown. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00283029 (Flemington 5 Nnw). Public domain.