Bressler climate

Bressler Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Middletown Harrisburg Intl AP, 6.3 km from Bressler, elevation 312 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Middletown Harrisburg 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 9 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 206 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 9, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 14

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 7May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
32°FApr 25Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
28°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14
24°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 2
20°FMar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19
16°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 15Feb 10Feb 1

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 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
32°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
28°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29
24°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13
20°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 10Dec 15Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30
16°FDec 7Dec 13Dec 19Dec 22Dec 26Dec 30Jan 3Jan 10Jan 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°F202195191187183179175170163
32°F224218214209206203198193185
28°F249242237233230225221216211
24°F276269263258254250245240234
20°F302293288282277273268263255
16°F328320312307302297292286278

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
5,024
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,171
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,103
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,830
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,702
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,719
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,875

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06002
February88603
March720129
April3659153
May12172417
June12239677
July0381846
August1319783
September48135537
October30016210
November605040
December90706

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 6.3 km from Bressler. 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 USW00014711 (Middletown Harrisburg Intl AP). Public domain.