Hancock County climate

Hancock County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Findlay Wpcc, 4.9 km from Hancock County, elevation 768 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Findlay Wpcc. 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 24, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first November 3

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

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

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°F182176171166162158154149143
32°F202196191187183179176171164
28°F226219213209205202198193187
24°F250242236233229224220215207
20°F273265259254249245239233226
16°F297289283277272266260255248

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
5,870
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
896
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,498
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,313
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,261
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,341
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,551

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19802
February1,00204
March827128
April4538119
May17363364
June24195621
July2283746
August7231690
September81101471
October36114179
November705034
December1,03505

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 4.9 km from Hancock 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 USC00332791 (Findlay Wpcc). Public domain.