Berne climate

Berne Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Schoharie, 14.6 km from Berne, elevation 734 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Schoharie. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 27

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 28May 23May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 17May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20
28°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 16
16°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8

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 20Sep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
32°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 31
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 17

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°F159153148144141137132128121
32°F184177171167163159154149142
28°F209202197193189184179174166
24°F233225220216213209205200193
20°F254247241237235231227223215
16°F272265260256253248244240233

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
6,735
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
556
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,655
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,561
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,599
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,778
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,095

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30200
February1,11401
March957113
April554362
May24027273
June53100497
July6205665
August14159610
September14657364
October4553100
November779015
December1,11601

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 14.6 km from Berne. 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 USC00307520 (Schoharie). Public domain.