Crystal Beach climate

Crystal Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Canandaigua 3 S, 3.7 km from Crystal Beach, elevation 720 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Canandaigua 3 S. 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 4

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 23May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27
32°FMay 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
28°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24
20°FApr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 19Mar 14
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4

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 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 19Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15
16°FNov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 15Dec 20Dec 24

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°F172166161157154149145142136
32°F194189183179175171167162155
28°F220212207203199196191186179
24°F245237232228224220217212206
20°F266259253249244240236231224
16°F287278273268264260255250242

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
6,513
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
632
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,807
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,697
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,725
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,890
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,186

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22802
February1,07801
March975010
April594259
May26431259
June60117507
July10217673
August16183632
September11474413
October4148140
November719027
December1,04303

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 3.7 km from Crystal Beach. 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 USC00301152 (Canandaigua 3 S). Public domain.