Muskingum County climate

Muskingum County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Zanesville Muni AP, 5 km from Muskingum County, elevation 880 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Zanesville Muni 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 13, 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 23May 17May 14May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22
32°FMay 14May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15
20°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
16°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 17

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 6Dec 11Dec 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°F174168163159155150146141134
32°F195189185180177173168163155
28°F219212208203200196192186178
24°F246238233227224220215210204
20°F275265259252248243239234226
16°F299291283278272267261254246

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
5,268
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
914
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,781
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,520
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,402
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,429
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,596

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08307
February89908
March725147
April37610163
May15067389
June22187615
July2287750
August4243704
September75103480
October34414185
November647045
December941011

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 5 km from Muskingum 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 USW00093824 (Zanesville Muni AP). Public domain.