Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Canton 4 Se, 5.1 km from Canton, elevation 448 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Canton 4 Se. 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 September 30, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 22, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 11

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 7Jun 2May 30May 26May 22May 19May 16May 12May 7
32°FMay 25May 19May 16May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27
28°FMay 14May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18
24°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5
20°FApr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
16°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17

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 2Sep 6Sep 11Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 3
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23Oct 31
24°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
20°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21
16°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2

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°F14013212712211811410910497
32°F163156151147142138134129121
28°F185178173168165160156151143
24°F211204199194189185180174166
20°F232224220215212208203198191
16°F251244239235231227223217211

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
7,844
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
431
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,170
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,160
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,278
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,519
Growing degree days, base 60°F
898

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49601
February1,28400
March1,11806
April665245
May30323225
June8885448
July23159601
August47119538
September19640310
October530388
November848014
December1,24801

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 5.1 km from Canton. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00014743 (Canton 4 Se). Public domain.