Steubenville Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Steubenville. 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 20, a growing season of about 175 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 8, first October 9
- Median at 32°F
- last April 29, first October 20
- Median at 28°F
- last April 18, 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 23 | May 18 | May 15 | May 11 | May 8 | May 5 | May 3 | Apr 30 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | May 15 | May 8 | May 5 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | May 3 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 16 | Apr 12 | Apr 8 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Apr 20 | Apr 17 | Apr 13 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F | Apr 11 | Apr 4 | Apr 2 | Mar 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 25 | Mar 22 | Mar 17 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F | Apr 1 | Mar 28 | Mar 25 | Mar 21 | Mar 18 | Mar 15 | Mar 10 | Mar 4 | Feb 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 173 | 167 | 161 | 157 | 154 | 150 | 145 | 141 | 134 |
| 32°F | 192 | 186 | 181 | 178 | 175 | 171 | 167 | 162 | 155 |
| 28°F | 214 | 208 | 204 | 200 | 195 | 192 | 188 | 182 | 175 |
| 24°F | 240 | 231 | 225 | 221 | 217 | 213 | 209 | 205 | 198 |
| 20°F | 265 | 255 | 250 | 245 | 240 | 235 | 230 | 225 | 218 |
| 16°F | 291 | 281 | 275 | 268 | 263 | 257 | 251 | 245 | 237 |
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
- 5,828
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 733
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,287
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,097
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,047
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,134
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,356
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,151 | 0 | 4 |
| February | 972 | 0 | 4 |
| March | 837 | 0 | 28 |
| April | 456 | 6 | 120 |
| May | 192 | 46 | 331 |
| June | 35 | 144 | 560 |
| July | 4 | 242 | 704 |
| August | 9 | 205 | 662 |
| September | 87 | 81 | 446 |
| October | 388 | 8 | 153 |
| November | 707 | 0 | 30 |
| December | 992 | 0 | 6 |
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 0.9 km from Steubenville. 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 USC00338025 (Steubenville). Public domain.