Fishkill climate

Fishkill Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Stormville, 13.8 km from Fishkill, elevation 915 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Stormville. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 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°FMay 15May 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9
28°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31
24°FApr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8
16°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Feb 28

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°FOct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 23

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°F179172168164161157154149142
32°F203196192188185181177172164
28°F226219215211208205201197191
24°F247240235231228224221217211
20°F267260255251247243238234228
16°F289281275270266261257252246

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
5,998
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
716
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,149
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,983
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,951
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,055
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,304

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20301
February1,00801
March850013
April4748100
May19139317
June47119522
July2252714
August8221679
September8971433
October3775147
November710023
December1,04002

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 13.8 km from Fishkill. 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 USC00308304 (Stormville). Public domain.