Scio climate

Scio Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wellsville, 6.6 km from Scio, elevation 1510 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wellsville. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 140 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 15

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 11Jun 6Jun 2May 31May 29May 26May 23May 18May 12
32°FMay 31May 27May 23May 19May 15May 12May 9May 5Apr 30
28°FMay 22May 15May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 20
24°FMay 8May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 8
20°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16

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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 13Oct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 10

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°F13612912411911511110710396
32°F160153148143140135131126118
28°F185178173168164158153148140
24°F210203198194190186182176168
20°F235229223219216212208203197
16°F260252246242237233230226219

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
7,561
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
261
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,844
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,832
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,962
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,230
Growing degree days, base 60°F
652

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34101
February1,15901
March1,05607
April675034
May34214193
June11950383
July4495516
August5577487
September22123264
October544272
November84905
December1,15601

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 6.6 km from Scio. 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 USC00309072 (Wellsville). Public domain.