Schaghticoke climate

Schaghticoke Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buskirk, 13.1 km from Schaghticoke, elevation 499 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buskirk. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 6, a growing season of about 154 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 20

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 1May 27May 24May 20May 17May 14May 12May 8May 4
32°FMay 21May 15May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24
28°FMay 9May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31
20°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10

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 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 24
28°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13

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°F149143138134130126121116109
32°F174167162158154149145140132
28°F201194189184180175170164156
24°F225218214210206201197192185
20°F248241235230226223219215208
16°F267261256251247242239234228

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
7,031
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
457
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,406
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,340
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,411
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,617
Growing degree days, base 60°F
959

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32600
February1,15800
March1,01308
April576356
May26520245
June6787471
July12174628
August26123563
September17047333
October482495
November807014
December1,12801

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 13.1 km from Schaghticoke. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00301068 (Buskirk). Public domain.