Wayne climate

Wayne Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Caldwell Essex CO AP, 5.4 km from Wayne, elevation 173 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Caldwell Essex CO 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 196 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 9

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 12May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
32°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
28°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17
24°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5
20°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22
16°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 25Feb 22Feb 15Feb 6

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 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26Oct 31
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 27
24°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9
20°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21
16°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 19Dec 22Dec 26Jan 1Jan 8

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°F190185179175172167163158151
32°F216210205200196192188182175
28°F243236230225221217213207201
24°F270262257251247243238233226
20°F293285280275270265260255247
16°F317308303299294289285279269

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
5,272
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
973
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,733
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,482
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,385
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,436
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,630

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06602
February90603
March764022
April41711126
May16052360
June24186612
July1329794
August3279741
September65105491
October32911189
November618039
December91906

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 5.4 km from Wayne. 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 USW00054743 (Caldwell Essex CO AP). Public domain.