Wellsburg climate

Wellsburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elmira, 12.9 km from Wellsburg, elevation 947 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elmira. 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 11, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 11
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°FMay 31May 26May 24May 21May 18May 14May 11May 7May 3
32°FMay 21May 15May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24
28°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 18
16°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 15Mar 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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 14
32°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
28°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 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°F154149144139136132128123118
32°F178171166162158154150146139
28°F202195190185181177172167161
24°F227221216211208204199194186
20°F252244239234231227224219212
16°F275266260256251246241236229

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
6,655
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
561
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,632
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,542
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,589
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,770
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,090

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24601
February1,08101
March96309
April575365
May25732264
June62109497
July12198651
August20159604
September13955370
October4625109
November770016
December1,06902

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 12.9 km from Wellsburg. 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 USC00302610 (Elmira). Public domain.