Drayton climate

Drayton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hallock, 28.3 km from Drayton, elevation 815 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hallock. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 6

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 6
32°FMay 24May 19May 15May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
28°FMay 15May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 14
24°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7
20°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
16°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22

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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2
32°FSep 16Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21
24°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
20°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
16°FOct 21Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17

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°F141135131128124120115110104
32°F159153149145142138134129122
28°F179172167163159155151146139
24°F198191186182178174169164158
20°F216210205201197193189184177
16°F229222218214211207204199192

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
9,769
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
382
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,754
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,852
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,061
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,378
Growing degree days, base 60°F
811

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,87500
February1,57700
March1,28001
April749024
May34621206
June8981444
July30135570
August52115528
September26128248
October697138
November1,16402
December1,64900

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 28.3 km from Drayton. 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 USC00213455 (Hallock). Public domain.