Holcomb climate

Holcomb Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Honeoye, 14.5 km from Holcomb, elevation 800 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Honeoye. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 20

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 8Jun 2May 30May 27May 24May 21May 17May 13May 6
32°FMay 27May 21May 16May 13May 10May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 15May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
24°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
20°FApr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12

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 8Sep 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
28°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 13Oct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19
20°FOct 31Nov 6Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1
16°FNov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14

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°F14413713112712211811310799
32°F168159155151147143139134127
28°F192185180175171166161156149
24°F220212206201197191187181173
20°F246239234229225221216210202
16°F269261255251247243239234225

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
6,793
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
478
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,482
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,394
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,446
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,638
Growing degree days, base 60°F
974

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25801
February1,09901
March989011
April602365
May27934254
June8292462
July26161600
August35131561
September15951350
October4576115
November744024
December1,06303

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 14.5 km from Holcomb. 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 USC00303955 (Honeoye). Public domain.