Babylon climate

Babylon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Farmingdale AP, 8.8 km from Babylon, elevation 81 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Farmingdale 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 213 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 19

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 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 7
32°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
28°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12
24°FMar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1
20°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17
16°FMar 13Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 24Feb 18Feb 13Feb 7Jan 31

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 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
32°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
28°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
24°FNov 15Nov 20Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19
20°FNov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 23Dec 29Jan 3
16°FDec 8Dec 16Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 13Jan 22

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°F207200196192189185181176170
32°F231226221217213210206201194
28°F258251246240236232229224218
24°F283275269265261257252245238
20°F307300294288283278273267259
16°F331323317311306303297291282

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
5,087
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
911
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,704
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,416
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,300
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,350
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,554

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02302
February87202
March763014
April449388
May18926305
June30154575
July1320784
August2284747
September46112516
October28913216
November573044
December85308

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 8.8 km from Babylon. 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 USW00054787 (Farmingdale AP). Public domain.