Hanover Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newark Wtr Wks. 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 167 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 9, first October 4
- Median at 32°F
- last April 29, first October 16
- Median at 28°F
- last April 19, first October 27
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 25 | May 20 | May 16 | May 12 | May 9 | May 6 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | May 17 | May 10 | May 5 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | May 3 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 17 | Apr 13 | Apr 8 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 11 | Apr 7 | Apr 5 | Apr 2 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F | Apr 8 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 29 | Mar 25 | Mar 22 | Mar 19 | Mar 15 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F | Mar 29 | Mar 24 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 14 | Mar 10 | Mar 7 | Mar 2 | Feb 24 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 165 | 160 | 155 | 151 | 146 | 142 | 138 | 133 | 127 |
| 32°F | 186 | 179 | 174 | 170 | 167 | 164 | 160 | 155 | 148 |
| 28°F | 208 | 203 | 198 | 192 | 189 | 185 | 180 | 176 | 169 |
| 24°F | 236 | 229 | 224 | 220 | 216 | 212 | 207 | 203 | 196 |
| 20°F | 263 | 255 | 249 | 245 | 240 | 235 | 230 | 224 | 218 |
| 16°F | 288 | 279 | 273 | 267 | 262 | 257 | 252 | 246 | 238 |
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
- 5,921
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 722
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,218
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,033
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,991
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,090
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,331
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,169 | 0 | 3 |
| February | 990 | 0 | 3 |
| March | 820 | 0 | 26 |
| April | 456 | 5 | 114 |
| May | 196 | 47 | 329 |
| June | 33 | 156 | 573 |
| July | 4 | 239 | 701 |
| August | 11 | 195 | 649 |
| September | 104 | 71 | 420 |
| October | 404 | 8 | 143 |
| November | 717 | 0 | 26 |
| December | 1,017 | 0 | 5 |
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 12.9 km from Hanover. 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 USC00335747 (Newark Wtr Wks). Public domain.