Bedford climate

Bedford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cleveland Burke AP, 18.5 km from Bedford, elevation 584 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cleveland Burke 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 8 and the first fall freeze around November 12, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first November 12
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 22

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 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8
32°FApr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29
28°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16
24°FApr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4
20°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 26Feb 22Feb 15Feb 5

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 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14
32°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
28°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
24°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21
20°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26Jan 1
16°FDec 4Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 15

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°F212207203200196192189184178
32°F236230224220217214210206200
28°F257251245241236231227222217
24°F281272266261256251246240234
20°F300291286282277273268261252
16°F323312305301296291287281271

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
5,513
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
925
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,633
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,406
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,326
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,389
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,587

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10303
February95505
March837128
April4818103
May19656335
June29178600
July1289753
August2261724
September58112505
October30218214
November617148
December93209

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 18.5 km from Bedford. 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 USW00004853 (Cleveland Burke AP). Public domain.