Kinderhook climate

Kinderhook Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Valatie 1 N, 4.4 km from Kinderhook, elevation 300 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Valatie 1 N. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 27

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 23May 18May 15May 11May 8May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
28°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 17
20°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 5
16°FMar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Feb 27

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 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 31
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19

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°F167161156153149146142137130
32°F191184179175171167163158152
28°F216209204200195191187181175
24°F243234228224219215212207199
20°F266258253248244240235230223
16°F286277272266262258254249243

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
6,296
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
698
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,988
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,851
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,856
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,997
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,274

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23801
February1,06100
March90209
April517480
May21641301
June44140546
July5238697
August11203657
September10867413
October4235125
November716025
December1,05402

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 4.4 km from Kinderhook. 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 USC00308746 (Valatie 1 N). Public domain.