Linton Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Linton. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 138 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 20, first September 20
- Median at 32°F
- last May 12, first September 29
- Median at 28°F
- last May 3, first October 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 4 | May 31 | May 26 | May 24 | May 20 | May 17 | May 14 | May 11 | May 7 |
| 32°F | May 26 | May 22 | May 17 | May 14 | May 12 | May 9 | May 6 | May 3 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | May 17 | May 13 | May 9 | May 5 | May 3 | May 1 | Apr 28 | Apr 25 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | May 9 | May 4 | May 1 | Apr 28 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | May 1 | Apr 26 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 14 | Apr 10 | Apr 8 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Apr 22 | Apr 17 | Apr 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 5 | Apr 2 | Mar 30 | Mar 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 6 | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 |
| 32°F | Sep 15 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 28°F | Sep 21 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 24°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 20°F | Oct 6 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 16°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 139 | 132 | 128 | 123 | 119 | 116 | 111 | 107 | 100 |
| 32°F | 156 | 151 | 147 | 142 | 138 | 135 | 130 | 125 | 119 |
| 28°F | 173 | 167 | 162 | 158 | 154 | 150 | 145 | 141 | 134 |
| 24°F | 191 | 184 | 180 | 175 | 171 | 166 | 162 | 156 | 149 |
| 20°F | 210 | 203 | 198 | 193 | 189 | 185 | 181 | 175 | 167 |
| 16°F | 226 | 218 | 213 | 210 | 206 | 202 | 198 | 193 | 186 |
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
- 8,602
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 609
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,249
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,288
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,441
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,709
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,094
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,663 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,365 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,104 | 0 | 2 |
| April | 671 | 1 | 39 |
| May | 301 | 25 | 236 |
| June | 72 | 114 | 493 |
| July | 17 | 228 | 676 |
| August | 35 | 189 | 619 |
| September | 205 | 51 | 315 |
| October | 633 | 2 | 60 |
| November | 1,063 | 0 | 2 |
| December | 1,472 | 0 | 0 |
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 0.2 km from Linton. 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 USC00325210 (Linton). Public domain.