Fairmount climate

Fairmount Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Syracuse Hancock Intl AP, 13 km from Fairmount, elevation 413 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Syracuse Hancock Intl 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 2

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 19May 15May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16
28°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23
20°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 5

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 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 16Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10
16°FNov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 10Dec 15Dec 21

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°F168162157153149146142138131
32°F193187182177173168164159152
28°F218212207203200196192186178
24°F242236231227223219216211205
20°F263255250247243239235230224
16°F281273267263259255251247240

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
6,588
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
619
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,791
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,680
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,710
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,876
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,173

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26802
February1,10501
March967010
April565467
May24334275
June55115510
July6218677
August14180631
September12663391
October4315122
November735022
December1,07302

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 13 km from Fairmount. 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 USW00014771 (Syracuse Hancock Intl AP). Public domain.