Big Flats climate

Big Flats Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elmira Corning Rgnl AP, 4.5 km from Big Flats, elevation 955 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elmira Corning Rgnl 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 May 9 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 22, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 23

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 4May 31May 27May 24May 22May 19May 15May 10May 3
32°FMay 24May 20May 16May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26
28°FMay 15May 9May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
20°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 18
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9

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 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
28°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29
16°FNov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 15

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°F148141136131128124120116109
32°F171165159155151147143138130
28°F194188184178174170165160153
24°F220213208204200195190185177
20°F245238233229225221218212204
16°F269261256251247243238233227

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
6,648
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
490
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,525
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,427
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,475
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,665
Growing degree days, base 60°F
995

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23700
February1,07501
March944011
April571262
May26326252
June6791474
July16177626
August25145586
September15744342
October4664105
November771013
December1,05702

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 4.5 km from Big Flats. 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 USW00014748 (Elmira Corning Rgnl AP). Public domain.