Pine Plains climate

Pine Plains Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Copake, 17.1 km from Pine Plains, elevation 550 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Copake. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 24

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 21May 18May 16May 13May 9May 5May 2
32°FMay 19May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22
28°FMay 7May 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 22Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
20°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15
16°FMar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5

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 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FOct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 27
28°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 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°F158151147143139136132128123
32°F180173169164160156152148142
28°F205199193188184180176171163
24°F229222217212209205202196189
20°F253246241237233229225220213
16°F274267262257254250245240233

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
6,660
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
557
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,625
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,532
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,577
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,757
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,081

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26901
February1,09200
March95009
April556465
May26224246
June64104491
July8206663
August17166614
September13951367
October4683103
November752018
December1,08301

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 17.1 km from Pine Plains. 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 USC00301761 (Copake). Public domain.