Glens Falls climate

Glens Falls Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Glens Falls Farm, 3.2 km from Glens Falls, elevation 504 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Glens Falls Farm. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 17, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 7

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

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 6Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1
32°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
24°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
20°FOct 14Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27

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°F13312612111811411110710296
32°F154148143139135132128124116
28°F175168164160156152148142135
24°F199192187183178174169163156
20°F219214209205201198193188179
16°F242235230225221217213208200

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
7,607
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
428
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,177
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,167
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,285
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,524
Growing degree days, base 60°F
900

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,43500
February1,25600
March1,06005
April627243
May29216218
June7286464
July10174629
August33121553
September18328303
October538164
November87106
December1,22900

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 3.2 km from Glens Falls. 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 USC00303284 (Glens Falls Farm). Public domain.