Old Forge climate

Old Forge Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Old Forge, 1.2 km from Old Forge, elevation 1748 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Old Forge. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 134 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 18, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 10

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 14Jun 8Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 29May 26May 22May 17
32°FJun 1May 29May 25May 22May 18May 14May 11May 7May 1
28°FMay 22May 16May 12May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
24°FMay 10May 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
20°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3
16°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28

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

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°F1311241191151101061029790
32°F153147142138134130126121114
28°F180172166161157152148143137
24°F202194189185181177172167160
20°F221214210207203200195190183
16°F240232228224220217214210204

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
8,686
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
170
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,396
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,470
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,673
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,002
Growing degree days, base 60°F
490

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,52500
February1,32600
March1,22002
April769124
May39910157
June15933330
July7562453
August9348421
September25815234
October614149
November94204
December1,30700

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 Old Forge. 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 USC00306184 (Old Forge). Public domain.