Cove climate

Cove Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Union, 11.8 km from Cove, elevation 2777 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Union. 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 May 11 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 2, first September 10
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 7

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°FJun 23Jun 15Jun 10Jun 6Jun 2May 30May 26May 21May 14
32°FMay 31May 24May 19May 15May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 26
28°FMay 10May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 22Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 12
20°FApr 3Mar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 16
16°FMar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 15Feb 10Feb 4Jan 22

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°FAug 29Sep 2Sep 5Sep 8Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 21Sep 26
32°FSep 9Sep 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 10
28°FSep 23Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
24°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2Nov 11
20°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 16Nov 24Nov 30
16°FOct 27Nov 2Nov 10Nov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 9Dec 17

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°F12411711110510196908576
32°F158151145140136131126121112
28°F190182177172166162157152144
24°F231220213207202197191184174
20°F274262254247241235229222210
16°F317301292285277270264256245

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
6,190
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
375
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,160
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,015
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,086
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,342
Growing degree days, base 60°F
772

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00900
February81901
March725011
April551044
May3369179
June17136320
July44148569
August42149572
September18632306
October511174
November774010
December1,02100

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 11.8 km from Cove. 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 USC00358746 (Union). Public domain.