Cheswick climate

Cheswick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Acmetonia Lock 3, 1.5 km from Cheswick, elevation 748 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Acmetonia Lock 3. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 197 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 11

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 17May 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
32°FMay 4Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
28°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19
24°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8
20°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27
16°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 22Feb 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°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
32°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
28°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25
24°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 9
20°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 24
16°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 7Dec 13Dec 18Dec 23Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8

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°F192185181176172168164158150
32°F216210204200197192188182175
28°F241233229225222218214209202
24°F265257252247242238233228222
20°F289281276270264258253248240
16°F312303296291286281275268258

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
5,811
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
709
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,226
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,042
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,002
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,093
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,326

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15902
February97303
March836025
April4572111
May19140332
June31131551
July4243703
August11203657
September9280439
October3799157
November703021
December97502

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 1.5 km from Cheswick. 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 USC00360022 (Acmetonia Lock 3). Public domain.