Gowanda climate

Gowanda Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Perrysburg, 5.5 km from Gowanda, elevation 1210 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Perrysburg. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 168 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 23, 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 26May 21May 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 16May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
28°FMay 7May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
20°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 17
16°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7

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 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31Nov 5
28°FOct 17Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 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°F166161155151147143138133128
32°F188182176172168164160156149
28°F214205200196192188184179172
24°F237231225219215211207202197
20°F257250244240236231227222216
16°F279271266260256252247241233

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
7,013
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
439
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,353
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,298
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,383
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,594
Growing degree days, base 60°F
931

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29101
February1,12302
March993115
April634249
May29130252
June6785469
July25145584
August29126562
September16848337
October486394
November789017
December1,11701

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 5.5 km from Gowanda. 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 USC00306525 (Perrysburg). Public domain.