Albany County climate

Albany County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Alcove Dam, 15 km from Albany County, elevation 607 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Alcove Dam. 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 May 3 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 25

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 29May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 10May 6May 1
32°FMay 18May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19
16°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10

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 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FOct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2
16°FNov 15Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13

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°F157150146142139135130125119
32°F180173169164160157153148141
28°F204198192188185181177172164
24°F227221216213209206202197191
20°F250243238234230227223217212
16°F269263258253249245241235230

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
7,125
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
394
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,248
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,196
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,281
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,502
Growing degree days, base 60°F
866

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33001
February1,15900
March1,01705
April604250
May28518225
June8173443
July17149597
August30117552
September17233317
October502280
November800012
December1,12801

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 15 km from Albany County. 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 USC00300063 (Alcove Dam). Public domain.