Warwick climate

Warwick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sussex 3 Wnw, 25.6 km from Warwick, elevation 667 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sussex 3 Wnw. 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 11, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 18, 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 30May 25May 20May 17May 14May 10May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 18May 11May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17
28°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23
20°FApr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 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 29Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
24°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21

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°F162155149144141136131127121
32°F184177173168163159153147140
28°F209201196192187184179173166
24°F236229223220215210206201194
20°F263255249244240235230225218
16°F286278272267262257252246239

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
6,312
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
587
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,797
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,668
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,682
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,834
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,134

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21500
February1,03701
March893011
April522478
May24028267
June54106503
July7217676
August15170620
September12957382
October4295123
November723021
December1,04903

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 25.6 km from Warwick. 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 USC00288644 (Sussex 3 Wnw). Public domain.