Whitehall climate

Whitehall Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Columbus Port Columbus Intl AP, 2.7 km from Whitehall, elevation 810 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Columbus Port Columbus Intl 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 191 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first November 6

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 16May 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15
32°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
28°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
24°FApr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 10
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
16°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13

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°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
28°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
24°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21
16°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 23Dec 28Jan 2

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°F189183177173170165161156149
32°F209203198194191187183177169
28°F233227221216213210206202194
24°F262251246241237232228223216
20°F286276271265260256251244236
16°F307300293288284278272265257

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
5,233
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,068
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,992
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,731
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,607
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,621
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,773

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09906
February91007
March729246
April36712170
May13884416
June16223657
July1323787
August3282744
September61125515
October32318204
November641045
December94709

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 2.7 km from Whitehall. 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 USW00014821 (Columbus Port Columbus Intl AP). Public domain.