Lindley climate

Lindley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cowanesque Dam, 4.4 km from Lindley, elevation 1150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cowanesque Dam. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 26

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

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°F155148142138134130125120113
32°F177170164159155152147141134
28°F200193188184180175171165157
24°F225219214210205201196190181
20°F248241236232227223219214207
16°F269262256251246242238234228

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
6,967
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
433
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,352
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,290
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,365
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,575
Growing degree days, base 60°F
922

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,28900
February1,12400
March1,00307
April611251
May29023232
June8081453
July18157604
August28126563
September15541342
October4793100
November791012
December1,10102

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 Lindley. 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 USC00361838 (Cowanesque Dam). Public domain.