Lake Telemark climate

Lake Telemark Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Charlotteburg Rsvr, 10.2 km from Lake Telemark, elevation 778 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Charlotteburg Rsvr. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 31

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 24May 19May 15May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 23
32°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
28°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30
24°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15
20°FApr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 2
16°FMar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22

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 25Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 3
28°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
20°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
16°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21Dec 28

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°F172166160155151147143138130
32°F197191184179174170166160152
28°F221214209205201196193189181
24°F246238234230225221218212205
20°F272265259254250246241236230
16°F298290283277272268263258250

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
6,065
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
636
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,950
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,792
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,784
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,917
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,200

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17001
February1,00801
March871012
April509581
May22831280
June51119518
July6228687
August13181632
September10866410
October4046137
November701023
December99503

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 10.2 km from Lake Telemark. 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 USC00281582 (Charlotteburg Rsvr). Public domain.