Brilliant climate

Brilliant Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wheeling Ohio CO AP, 10 km from Brilliant, elevation 1179 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wheeling Ohio CO 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 8, 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 22May 16May 11May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18
32°FMay 10May 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
20°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 22Mar 18Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 1
16°FMar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 16

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 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 8
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
24°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 20
16°FNov 18Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21Dec 27Jan 3

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°F181174169165161157153147140
32°F206199194189185180176170163
28°F230223218214210206201196188
24°F257249243238234229224218211
20°F281272265261256251245240231
16°F304297290284278273266261252

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
5,419
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
782
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,583
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,337
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,229
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,261
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,439

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09607
February917011
March761246
April39910153
May16953358
June31148567
July3254716
August7215673
September8384453
October34915188
November654045
December950012

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 10 km from Brilliant. 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 USW00014894 (Wheeling Ohio CO AP). Public domain.