Central Square climate

Central Square Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Brewerton Lock 23, 6.8 km from Central Square, elevation 377 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Brewerton Lock 23. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 29

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 31May 27May 23May 19May 16May 13May 10May 6May 1
32°FMay 19May 14May 10May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
28°FMay 8May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2
20°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
16°FApr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14

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 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 14
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 29
28°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4
16°FNov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 14

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°F154147142138134129125121114
32°F180172167162158154150145137
28°F205198193189184179175170163
24°F228222217212208205201196190
20°F251243238234230227223219213
16°F269261256252247244239235229

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
7,149
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
404
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,279
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,228
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,311
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,527
Growing degree days, base 60°F
882

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34100
February1,18800
March1,04507
April633143
May28616227
June7366443
July16155604
August27123561
September17441322
October481391
November774013
December1,11100

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 6.8 km from Central Square. 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 USC00300870 (Brewerton Lock 23). Public domain.