Cameron County climate

Cameron County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Emporium, 8 km from Cameron County, elevation 1040 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Emporium. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 28

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 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 12May 9May 2
32°FMay 23May 18May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
28°FMay 13May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 11
24°FMay 2Apr 23Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8

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 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Nov 1
28°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 3
16°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 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°F157150145141137133129125118
32°F182174169164160155151146138
28°F203196191187183178175170161
24°F227221216212208204200193186
20°F253245239235232228223219214
16°F273267260255250246242237229

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
6,562
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
508
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,630
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,529
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,563
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,738
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,043

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25200
February1,07800
March92409
April545270
May24931265
June62106494
July9175631
August15145595
September12547376
October4504108
November770014
December1,08302

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 8 km from Cameron County. 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 USC00362629 (Emporium). Public domain.