Chenango County climate

Chenango County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Norwich, 7.8 km from Chenango County, elevation 989 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Norwich. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 26, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 15

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 6Jun 2May 31May 28May 26May 23May 20May 16May 11
32°FMay 27May 23May 20May 17May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 28
28°FMay 17May 12May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
24°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
20°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28
16°FApr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18

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 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25
16°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7

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°F141133129126121118114109102
32°F162155150146142139134130123
28°F186179174169164159155149143
24°F213206200195191186181175165
20°F234227223220216212208204198
16°F254248243238235230227224217

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
7,295
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
375
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,175
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,140
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,236
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,465
Growing degree days, base 60°F
837

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34400
February1,18200
March1,04505
April626248
May30617213
June8374442
July20140584
August34107538
September17834313
October510282
November828010
December1,14101

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 7.8 km from Chenango County. 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 USC00306085 (Norwich). Public domain.