Fort Edward climate

Fort Edward Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Glens Falls AP, 9.6 km from Fort Edward, elevation 321 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Glens Falls 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 May 9 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 9

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

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 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 3
32°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 13
28°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 27
24°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
16°FNov 3Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3

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°F139132128124119116111107101
32°F161155151147143138134128121
28°F184177172168164160156152145
24°F210204199195190186181176168
20°F233227223218214210207202195
16°F255249243239235231227223216

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
7,409
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
407
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,192
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,159
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,263
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,497
Growing degree days, base 60°F
873

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,40400
February1,20800
March1,03204
April612144
May28318224
June7777450
July14158609
August33118550
September19334300
October528272
November83609
December1,18900

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 9.6 km from Fort Edward. 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 USW00014750 (Glens Falls AP). Public domain.