Red Hook climate

Red Hook Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rhinebeck 4SE, 12.3 km from Red Hook, elevation 301 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rhinebeck 4SE. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 134 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 7

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°FJun 17Jun 9Jun 4May 31May 29May 26May 22May 17May 11
32°FJun 1May 27May 22May 19May 14May 11May 7May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 19May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 18
24°FMay 9May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
20°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
16°FApr 18Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 15

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 4Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 11
28°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 19Oct 25
24°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 13Oct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12Nov 17
16°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1

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°F1331271211161121091039889
32°F156148143138134130126121113
28°F181173167162158154149144137
24°F203195190185180176170164157
20°F225218212208203198192186177
16°F250242236230224219215209201

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
6,718
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
550
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,577
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,488
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,548
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,741
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,070

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26200
February1,09100
March95508
April568462
May26027254
June63106494
July10191646
August19165611
September15052359
October475499
November767014
December1,10001

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 12.3 km from Red Hook. 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 USC00307035 (Rhinebeck 4SE). Public domain.