West Liberty climate

West Liberty Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bellefontaine, 11.4 km from West Liberty, elevation 1176 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bellefontaine. 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 20, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 30

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 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
32°FMay 12May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
28°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 31Mar 25Mar 20
20°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Feb 26

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 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21

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°F173166163159155152148143137
32°F194188183178175171167162155
28°F217210205200196191187181175
24°F240232227222218213209204197
20°F266256250245241237233226219
16°F288279272267262258252245237

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
6,027
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
803
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,353
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,180
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,138
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,226
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,445

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22302
February1,02503
March838132
April4657120
May18560353
June31172591
July4246707
August9207663
September9196459
October38314171
November720034
December1,05404

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 11.4 km from West Liberty. 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 USC00330563 (Bellefontaine). Public domain.