Elizabethtown climate

Elizabethtown Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lake Placid 2 S, 32.8 km from Elizabethtown, elevation 1888 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lake Placid 2 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 May 27 and the first fall freeze around September 22, a growing season of about 118 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 8
Median at 32°F
last May 27, first September 22
Median at 28°F
last May 13, first October 3

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 29Jun 18Jun 12Jun 8Jun 5Jun 3May 31May 28May 24
32°FJun 7Jun 4Jun 1May 29May 27May 24May 20May 17May 10
28°FMay 27May 22May 19May 16May 13May 9May 6May 1Apr 27
24°FMay 16May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18
20°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
16°FApr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30

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°FAug 20Aug 27Sep 1Sep 5Sep 8Sep 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 23
32°FSep 8Sep 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4
28°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14Oct 20
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29Nov 3
20°FOct 12Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
16°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22

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°F112106101969286807262
32°F13813112712211811411010598
28°F165158152147143139135130123
24°F189183177172169164159153146
20°F213206202197193188184178170
16°F232226221217213209205200195

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
8,982
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
136
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,208
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,301
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,523
Growing degree days, base 55°F
885
Growing degree days, base 60°F
415

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55300
February1,32400
March1,20902
April785122
May4366124
June18227303
July8155439
August11435386
September29213204
October659039
November98404
December1,36200

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 32.8 km from Elizabethtown. 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 USC00304555 (Lake Placid 2 S). Public domain.