Berwick climate

Berwick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Benton 3 Ne, 21.7 km from Berwick, elevation 1095 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Benton 3 Ne. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 24

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 31May 26May 22May 18May 15May 12May 8May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 19May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
28°FMay 10May 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 14
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4

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 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 27
28°FOct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 9
24°FOct 20Oct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4
16°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16

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°F158151146142138134130125119
32°F179172168163159155151147139
28°F206199194189184180175171163
24°F234226220216212208204198190
20°F257250244240236232227221214
16°F278270264259255251246240233

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
6,703
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
406
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,418
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,327
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,377
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,565
Growing degree days, base 60°F
896

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25500
February1,07700
March94208
April564467
May26420244
June7282461
July17152600
August27111549
September14935340
October478295
November767011
December1,09102

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 21.7 km from Berwick. 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 USC00360582 (Benton 3 Ne). Public domain.