Passaic climate

Passaic Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Teterboro AP, 5.7 km from Passaic, elevation 9 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Teterboro AP. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 215 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 23, first November 16

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 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
32°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
28°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7
24°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 25
20°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 24Feb 19Feb 12
16°FMar 9Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 19Feb 14Feb 9Feb 3Jan 27

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 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
32°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
28°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
24°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21
20°FNov 28Dec 2Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 21Dec 25Dec 31Jan 6
16°FDec 10Dec 17Dec 22Dec 27Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 14Jan 23

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°F209202198194190186182177169
32°F233227223218215211207202195
28°F263255249243239234230225218
24°F287279273268263259254248241
20°F312304299293289283278272263
16°F340329322317311306303296286

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
4,735
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,255
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,338
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,017
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,853
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,841
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,977

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99803
February84304
March705131
April36912150
May12569410
June12239676
July0402866
August1348812
September36160575
October26124251
November544160
December842013

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 5.7 km from Passaic. 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 USW00094741 (Teterboro AP). Public domain.