Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Canton, 0.8 km from Canton, elevation 1140 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Canton. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 13

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 11Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 29May 26May 23May 19May 12
32°FMay 29May 26May 22May 19May 16May 12May 7May 3Apr 27
28°FMay 19May 13May 9May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19
24°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 23
16°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13

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 7Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 31
24°FOct 8Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
16°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7

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°F13612912311911511110710294
32°F159153149144139135131126118
28°F184177173168163159155149141
24°F210203198194189185180173165
20°F237231226221217213209204197
16°F261253248244240236232227220

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
6,949
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
385
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,258
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,195
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,272
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,487
Growing degree days, base 60°F
852

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27601
February1,09800
March97308
April590259
May29219225
June8773438
July23145587
August38110538
September18132311
October504390
November792013
December1,09701

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 0.8 km from Canton. 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 USC00361212 (Canton). Public domain.