Westmere climate

Westmere Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albany AP, 7.6 km from Westmere, elevation 312 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albany AP. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 169 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 28

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 23May 18May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25
32°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16
28°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3
24°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
20°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4

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 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 18
32°FOct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4
16°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16

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°F166160156152148144139135129
32°F191183177174169165161156150
28°F213207202198193189185180173
24°F237229224220216212208203197
20°F259252247242238234229224218
16°F279271266261257254249245238

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
6,357
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
721
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,002
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,873
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,886
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,028
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,303

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26001
February1,07001
March909011
April514580
May20439309
June37139552
July3255718
August10207662
September11570408
October4285123
November737021
December1,07102

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 7.6 km from Westmere. 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 USW00014735 (Albany AP). Public domain.