Alfred climate

Alfred Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Alfred, 3.5 km from Alfred, elevation 1924 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Alfred. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 18, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 10

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°FJun 14Jun 9Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 21May 14
32°FJun 1May 28May 25May 21May 18May 14May 10May 6May 1
28°FMay 22May 16May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22
24°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 10
20°FMay 1Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
16°FApr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19

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 3Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 13
28°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 28
24°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 21Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
16°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3

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°F1311241191141091051009588
32°F155149143138135131126121113
28°F177171166161158154150144137
24°F203197191187182178173166159
20°F228220215211207203198191183
16°F250242238233229225220215208

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
7,502
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
296
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,940
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,921
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,033
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,288
Growing degree days, base 60°F
698

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33900
February1,15901
March1,03708
April658146
May33119203
June11261401
July42111535
August6479481
September22122266
October539279
November851013
December1,15002

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 3.5 km from Alfred. 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 USC00300085 (Alfred). Public domain.