Strasburg climate

Strasburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Philadelphia, 14.4 km from Strasburg, elevation 925 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Philadelphia. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 25

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 26May 21May 17May 13May 10May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27
32°FMay 17May 11May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 26
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 3

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 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FOct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F167161156152148145140135128
32°F186180175171167164160155148
28°F206200195191187183179173167
24°F232225220216211208204198191
20°F256248243238233229225220213
16°F283275268262256251247241233

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
5,867
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
724
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,244
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,058
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,011
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,106
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,338

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15104
February98502
March833025
April4647117
May20045323
June39150561
July4239701
August9202659
September9474433
October3907147
November701036
December99806

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 14.4 km from Strasburg. 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 USC00335894 (New Philadelphia). Public domain.