Clinton climate

Clinton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Utica Oneida CO AP, 10.8 km from Clinton, elevation 711 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Utica Oneida CO 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 1, 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 30May 25May 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 17May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20
16°FApr 5Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 16
32°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Nov 1
28°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 4
16°FNov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 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°F160155149144140136131127120
32°F185178173168164159155151144
28°F207201197192188184180174166
24°F232224219215212209205200193
20°F251244239235230227223218212
16°F269262256252248244240234228

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
7,092
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
457
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,404
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,339
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,414
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,615
Growing degree days, base 60°F
955

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34201
February1,15900
March1,02905
April614250
May27621235
June7691466
July12168621
August26132570
September15340344
October4693104
November794017
December1,14201

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 10.8 km from Clinton. 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 USW00094794 (Utica Oneida CO AP). Public domain.