Youngstown climate

Youngstown Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Youngstown 2 E, 3.3 km from Youngstown, elevation 295 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Youngstown 2 E. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 181 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first November 7

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 22May 18May 14May 12May 9May 7May 5May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 12May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18
28°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13
16°FMar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 16Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2

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 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
32°FOct 10Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 23
24°FNov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 19
16°FNov 23Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 21Dec 25Jan 1

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°F177170165161157154150146139
32°F198192188184181177173168161
28°F221214210205202199195191182
24°F246239234231227223219214207
20°F272263258252247243239234227
16°F293286280276272266261256248

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
6,364
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
662
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,834
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,715
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,739
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,908
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,212

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19601
February1,05401
March95606
April603143
May27422235
June55122518
July5243704
August10196651
September10571417
October3897142
November702020
December1,01502

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 3.3 km from Youngstown. 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 USC00309690 (Youngstown 2 E). Public domain.