Morgan County climate

Morgan County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mc Connellsville Lk 7, 3.6 km from Morgan County, elevation 760 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mc Connellsville Lk 7. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 15, 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 21May 17May 13May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 14May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
28°FMay 3Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5
16°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 20

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

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°F174168163160155152148142135
32°F196189184180176172168163154
28°F218212206201198193189184176
24°F244236230226222218214208202
20°F270261255250245241236230224
16°F297288281275270265259253245

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
5,443
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
800
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,539
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,306
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,213
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,259
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,454

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10005
February91804
March757140
April4078146
May17149350
June29158579
July2255718
August5225685
September7493471
October35910170
November668037
December95209

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 3.6 km from Morgan County. 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 USC00335041 (Mc Connellsville Lk 7). Public domain.