Rush climate

Rush Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Avon, 12.3 km from Rush, elevation 545 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Avon. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 29

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 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 15May 11May 7May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11Apr 6
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 27
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7

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 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 17
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Nov 1
28°FOct 11Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20

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°F159153149145142137134129123
32°F182176171166163159154150144
28°F209202197192188185180174166
24°F233226221217214211207202194
20°F255247243239235231227223217
16°F277268263258254250246241235

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
6,744
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
538
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,592
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,503
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,554
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,744
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,063

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25901
February1,10701
March989010
April604259
May27233255
June65110496
July13190642
August24145586
September14254367
October4475117
November752021
December1,07102

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 Rush. 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 USC00300343 (Avon). Public domain.