Ovid climate

Ovid Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Aurora Rsch Farm, 14.8 km from Ovid, elevation 830 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Aurora Rsch Farm. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first November 3

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 24May 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 27
32°FMay 16May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
20°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 18Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 17Dec 24

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°F168161157153150146142137132
32°F193187182177172168163158151
28°F220213207202198193188183176
24°F244236231226222218214208203
20°F264256251246241237232228221
16°F281274268264259255251245237

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
6,821
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
524
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,550
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,470
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,527
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,719
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,043

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27401
February1,11201
March1,00809
April613460
May27732254
June72105484
July16180629
August25142583
September14555365
October4485117
November755022
December1,07702

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 14.8 km from Ovid. 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 USC00300331 (Aurora Rsch Farm). Public domain.