Corning climate

Corning Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Corning, 1.5 km from Corning, elevation 1147 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Corning. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 17, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 13

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 11Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 29May 27May 24May 20May 13
32°FMay 31May 27May 24May 20May 17May 13May 10May 6Apr 30
28°FMay 20May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
24°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 8
20°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
16°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 27Mar 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 11Sep 15Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4
32°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 16
28°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24Oct 30
24°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
16°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5

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°F13512912412111711310810497
32°F160152148143139135131126121
28°F183175171166162157152147139
24°F207200195191185181176171162
20°F232225220216211207202198191
16°F254247243237234229225221213

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
7,682
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
268
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,831
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,832
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,966
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,237
Growing degree days, base 60°F
662

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36900
February1,18400
March1,06804
April666138
May33512189
June11951384
July38103530
August6079484
September21921266
October560164
November87806
December1,18701

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 1.5 km from Corning. 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 USC00301787 (Corning). Public domain.