Poughkeepsie climate

Poughkeepsie Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Poughkeepsie, 3 km from Poughkeepsie, elevation 251 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Poughkeepsie. 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 April 21 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 2

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 17May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
28°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28
24°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15
20°FApr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
16°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22

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 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15
16°FNov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 18Dec 22Dec 31

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°F180172167163159156152147141
32°F204197192187183178174169163
28°F226220215212207203198193187
24°F254246240235231228223217210
20°F278269264258254250245241232
16°F299292285280275270265259252

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
5,989
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
726
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,111
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,946
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,927
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,044
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,308

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18301
February1,00001
March867014
April486690
May20238308
June42133542
July4255716
August8215673
September10573420
October4055134
November686025
December1,00403

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 3 km from Poughkeepsie. 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 USC00306820 (Poughkeepsie). Public domain.