Wallkill climate

Wallkill Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Walden 1 Ese, 6.3 km from Wallkill, elevation 380 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Walden 1 Ese. 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 11, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 23

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 21May 17May 14May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
28°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22
20°FApr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 8
16°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 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 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14
32°FSep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 27
28°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 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°F162155151147143139135130124
32°F183176172168164160156151145
28°F210201197192188184180176168
24°F235227223217213209205200194
20°F261252247242238233228223215
16°F285277271265260256252247240

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
6,151
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
701
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,023
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,874
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,870
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,999
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,274

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21201
February1,02800
March881010
April501688
May21437298
June46140545
July3251713
August10196651
September11065408
October4135131
November707022
December1,02803

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 6.3 km from Wallkill. 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 USC00308906 (Walden 1 Ese). Public domain.