Camden climate

Camden Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eaton, 11.6 km from Camden, elevation 1002 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eaton. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 30

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 19May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
24°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16
20°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4
16°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 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 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22

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°F174167163158155151146142135
32°F196189185181176172168162156
28°F216211206202198194190185177
24°F244238231226222218214209202
20°F267260254249245240236230223
16°F291282276271266261256251242

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
5,825
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
834
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,459
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,265
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,205
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,277
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,484

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19602
February99503
March801131
April4356126
May17457359
June24178605
July3262724
August6220679
September8299468
October36911172
November708032
December1,03205

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 11.6 km from Camden. 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 USC00332485 (Eaton). Public domain.