Niagara Falls climate

Niagara Falls Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Niagara Falls, 7 km from Niagara Falls, elevation 588 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Niagara Falls. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first November 5

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

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°F176169164160156152148143137
32°F200193188183179175170164156
28°F224218213209204201196190183
24°F248241237233229225220215209
20°F274267260256251247242238230
16°F293286281276271267262257249

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
6,366
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
690
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,914
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,791
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,812
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,974
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,265

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20901
February1,07401
March947010
April575256
May24134277
June45133539
July5246707
August11194648
September11072415
October4118136
November716020
December1,02502

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 7 km from Niagara Falls. 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 USC00305840 (Niagara Falls). Public domain.