Waddington climate

Waddington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ogdensburg 4 Ne, 24.3 km from Waddington, elevation 280 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ogdensburg 4 Ne. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 24

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 19May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28
32°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18
28°FMay 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8
24°FApr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21
16°FApr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14

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 15Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 13
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 28
28°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 20Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 18
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28
16°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7

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°F159153149145141137133128121
32°F183176171166162158154149142
28°F205199195191186182177172164
24°F225219216212209206201196189
20°F244238233230226223219215208
16°F259252248244240236232228222

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
7,735
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
478
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,278
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,266
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,378
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,612
Growing degree days, base 60°F
971

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49200
February1,28900
March1,12203
April660037
May28619228
June6987469
July12181634
August26146584
September17044333
October513282
November85208
December1,24300

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 24.3 km from Waddington. 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 USC00306164 (Ogdensburg 4 Ne). Public domain.