Wayne County climate

Wayne County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sodus 1W, 20.8 km from Wayne County, elevation 444 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sodus 1W. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 25

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 3May 29May 25May 22May 19May 16May 13May 9May 4
32°FMay 21May 16May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24
28°FMay 12May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
16°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9

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 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 13
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22Oct 28
28°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 21Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 18

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°F154146141137133130125120113
32°F177171165162158154149145138
28°F202195190186181176172166159
24°F230222217213208204199193184
20°F254247241236231227222218211
16°F276267262257252248243237230

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
7,026
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
415
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,286
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,230
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,312
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,530
Growing degree days, base 60°F
886

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29001
February1,12700
March1,00609
April626255
May30919216
June9481438
July24148589
August33118550
September15844342
October477397
November780014
December1,10202

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 20.8 km from Wayne County. 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 USC00307842 (Sodus 1W). Public domain.