Wawarsing climate

Wawarsing Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mohonk Lake, 16.8 km from Wawarsing, elevation 1245 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mohonk Lake. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 6

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 15May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 30
24°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1

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°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
28°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
24°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14
16°FNov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 10Dec 15Dec 19Dec 25

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°F185177173169165161157152146
32°F207201196192188184180175168
28°F229223218214211207203197189
24°F252245240236232228224219212
20°F271264259254250246242238230
16°F291283278273268263258253245

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
6,039
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
737
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,160
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,000
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,972
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,082
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,337

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20001
February1,01401
March879015
April4828101
May19643321
June38143555
July3255718
August9208663
September10273423
October3846148
November701024
December1,03103

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 16.8 km from Wawarsing. 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 USC00305426 (Mohonk Lake). Public domain.