Belwood climate

Belwood Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Vale Ag 2 Sw, 8.8 km from Belwood, elevation 985 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Vale Ag 2 Sw. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 5

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 10May 6May 1Apr 29Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
32°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 10Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
28°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 18
24°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 3
20°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27Feb 17
16°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 24Feb 17Feb 6Jan 27

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 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
32°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 24
16°FNov 21Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 13

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°F196190185181177173169164159
32°F217210205202198195191186179
28°F240230227223219216212207202
24°F264255249244239234230225219
20°F294284276269263257251245236
16°F331317306298291285278271260

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
99% 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
3,889
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,264
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,853
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,400
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,120
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,004
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,055

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January815015
February653026
March544286
April25518239
May7996483
June3260706
July0364829
August1325789
September30171591
October22928279
November528158
December752021

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 8.8 km from Belwood. 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 USC00318906 (Vale Ag 2 Sw). Public domain.