Owego climate

Owego Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Binghamton, 25.2 km from Owego, elevation 1606 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Binghamton. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 22, 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°FMay 28May 24May 20May 16May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 18May 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19
28°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9

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 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 13
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 23Oct 29
28°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
20°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 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°F160153148143140136131126120
32°F182175170166162158153148140
28°F208201196192187182177171164
24°F233226222218214209205200191
20°F254247241238233229225220214
16°F273266260256251247242237230

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
7,162
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
383
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,237
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,184
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,267
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,488
Growing degree days, base 60°F
850

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31701
February1,13300
March1,012010
April615356
May29622225
June8872435
July21142586
August36109538
September18234311
October504290
November813015
December1,14401

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 25.2 km from Owego. 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 USW00004725 (Binghamton). Public domain.