Fairfield Beach climate

Fairfield Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newark Heath AP, 11.9 km from Fairfield Beach, elevation 884 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newark Heath 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 31

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

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 23Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 19
32°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 30
20°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 18Nov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29

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°F175169164160156151147142135
32°F198192186183178174170165157
28°F223216212208204199196190182
24°F251243237233228224219215208
20°F277268262257253248242237230
16°F303293286281276271266259249

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
5,231
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
961
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,863
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,595
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,470
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,491
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,653

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08806
February90608
March722144
April3689165
May13678411
June15212646
July1302766
August4241702
September70102483
October33716192
November647039
December93609

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 11.9 km from Fairfield Beach. 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 USW00004858 (Newark Heath AP). Public domain.