Spackenkill climate

Spackenkill Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Poughkeepsie Dutchess CO AP, 4 km from Spackenkill, elevation 166 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Poughkeepsie Dutchess CO AP. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 168 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 27

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 26May 21May 17May 14May 10May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 26
32°FMay 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7
16°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25

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 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 31
28°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19

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°F165159154150146142138133127
32°F190182177173168164160155147
28°F214207202198194189185180172
24°F238230225221217214210205199
20°F264256250245241236233227220
16°F287279273269264260255249242

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
5,995
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
745
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,132
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,969
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,954
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,074
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,335

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17501
February1,00201
March848015
April484591
May20635304
June36139554
July3268730
August8217674
September10774419
October4036139
November705024
December1,01803

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 4 km from Spackenkill. 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 USW00014757 (Poughkeepsie Dutchess CO AP). Public domain.