Tupper Lake climate

Tupper Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tupper Lake Sunmount, 2.2 km from Tupper Lake, elevation 1680 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tupper Lake Sunmount. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 134 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 10

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 18Jun 10Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 21May 16
32°FMay 31May 26May 22May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 2
28°FMay 19May 14May 10May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
24°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
20°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2
16°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26

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 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 30
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
28°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21Oct 27
24°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
20°FOct 17Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17
16°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26

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°F1281211171131081051009686
32°F152146141136134129125120114
28°F178171166162157153148142136
24°F200194189185180175170164157
20°F222215210206202198193188180
16°F239233228224221217212207197

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
8,746
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
222
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,488
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,560
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,758
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,089
Growing degree days, base 60°F
564

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55900
February1,34800
March1,23101
April773122
May39511153
June15342345
July5785493
August8264446
September25720239
October616155
November94704
December1,32800

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 2.2 km from Tupper Lake. 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 USC00308631 (Tupper Lake Sunmount). Public domain.