Darrtown climate

Darrtown Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fairfield, 17.6 km from Darrtown, elevation 575 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fairfield. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first November 1

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 17May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
32°FMay 7May 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 2
28°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
24°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 7
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
16°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 9

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 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 16
24°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Dec 1
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Dec 31

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°F185177173168165161156151144
32°F206200194190186181177170164
28°F229222217213209205201195188
24°F255246241236232227223218211
20°F280272266260255249244239230
16°F306296290284279274267260252

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
5,233
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,118
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,043
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,782
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,663
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,680
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,831

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10005
February90407
March719246
April36612170
May12982424
June15229664
July1340804
August2301764
September60133524
October32318205
November657041
December956010

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 17.6 km from Darrtown. 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 USC00332651 (Fairfield). Public domain.