Rapids climate

Rapids Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lockport 4E, 10.3 km from Rapids, elevation 610 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lockport 4E. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 8

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 19May 14May 11May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2
24°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22
20°FApr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12
16°FMar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 1

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°FOct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 29
32°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
28°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24
24°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16
16°FNov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 19Dec 26

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°F179172168164160156152147142
32°F202196190186182179174169162
28°F229221216212208204200195187
24°F251244240235232228223218211
20°F271263257253249246241235228
16°F290282276272268263259253245

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
6,389
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
633
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,843
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,734
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,757
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,918
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,206

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22801
February1,06100
March935011
April577155
May23534283
June44123530
July6216676
August14181632
September10971414
October4177130
November713024
December1,05202

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 10.3 km from Rapids. 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 USC00304844 (Lockport 4E). Public domain.