Gordon Heights climate

Gordon Heights Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York, 9 km from Gordon Heights, elevation 80 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York. 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 24, a growing season of about 184 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 7, 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 17May 13May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
24°FApr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11
20°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28
16°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18

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 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 13Dec 22
16°FNov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Jan 1Jan 7

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°F179173168164160156153148142
32°F203197193188184180176171164
28°F229222217213210206201197190
24°F257250244239234230226222214
20°F284275270265260254249245237
16°F308300296290285279274268259

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
5,665
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
676
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,125
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,913
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,876
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,993
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,264

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09400
February95101
March835010
April513161
May23215257
June39109521
July3252714
August5213673
September8278447
October3597162
November644026
December91004

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 km from Gordon Heights. 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 USC00308721 (Upton Coop - Nwsfo New York). Public domain.