Malone climate

Malone Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Malone, 1.2 km from Malone, elevation 878 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Malone. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 18

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 2May 28May 24May 21May 18May 16May 12May 8May 3
32°FMay 21May 16May 13May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 4
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
16°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 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 10Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 8
32°FSep 21Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 21
28°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 13Oct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
16°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2

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°F147140136131127123120114107
32°F171164159155151147141137130
28°F195187182178174169165160152
24°F215210206202198194189184176
20°F234227223219216212209204197
16°F249241237234229226223218212

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
8,406
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
327
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,838
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,873
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,031
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,315
Growing degree days, base 60°F
736

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55301
February1,34800
March1,20104
April729132
May34717191
June11566404
July35123553
August6287490
September22731274
October579270
November906012
December1,30401

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 1.2 km from Malone. 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 USC00304996 (Malone). Public domain.