Paul Smiths climate

Paul Smiths Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Saranac Rgnl AP, 7 km from Paul Smiths, elevation 1663 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Saranac Rgnl AP. 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 June 2 and the first fall freeze around September 9, a growing season of about 97 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 2, first September 9
Median at 28°F
last May 21, first September 23

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 19Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 26May 20
28°FJun 4May 31May 27May 24May 21May 19May 16May 13May 7
24°FMay 24May 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25
20°FMay 12May 7May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 18Apr 12
16°FMay 1Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 26Sep 1Sep 3Sep 6Sep 9Sep 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 24
28°FSep 7Sep 13Sep 17Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 2Oct 7
24°FSep 19Sep 25Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 25
20°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
16°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16

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°F908175696358514536
32°F1181101041009793898272
28°F144135131126123119115109103
24°F169163158153149145141136127
20°F198191184180176171167161153
16°F219213208204200196192187180

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
9,302
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
120
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,056
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,171
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,418
Growing degree days, base 55°F
811
Growing degree days, base 60°F
374

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59300
February1,39300
March1,26902
April806017
May4554111
June19525288
July9150423
August13532364
September3269177
October673034
November99302
December1,37300

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 Paul Smiths. 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 USW00094740 (Saranac Rgnl AP). Public domain.