Bedford County climate

Bedford County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wolfsburg, 4.6 km from Bedford County, elevation 1185 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wolfsburg. 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 13, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 27

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

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 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 18
32°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 30
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
24°FOct 22Oct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
20°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 25

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°F166158153149145141136131123
32°F189182176171167162158151142
28°F215207203199193188183177168
24°F237229225221217213208204197
20°F266256251246241236231226218
16°F296287279274268263258252243

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
5,919
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
666
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,077
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,904
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,881
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,997
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,257

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14402
February95805
March822027
April4615107
May20932306
June37122536
July6242700
August13182634
September11973406
October4169137
November728020
December1,00702

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 4.6 km from Bedford County. 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 USC00369823 (Wolfsburg). Public domain.