Fulton County climate

Fulton County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wauseon Wtp, 9.4 km from Fulton County, elevation 750 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wauseon Wtp. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 29

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

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

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°F169161156152148144140133124
32°F190184178174170165160154146
28°F216208203198194190185179171
24°F239231226222217213209203196
20°F266257251245240236231226219
16°F287277271266260255250244236

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
6,410
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
683
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,968
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,846
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,856
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,997
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,270

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26201
February1,07501
March901016
April519382
May22042303
June38152564
July6231690
August16174623
September10872417
October4168139
November758019
December1,09102

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 9.4 km from Fulton County. 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 USC00338822 (Wauseon Wtp). Public domain.