Cresco climate

Cresco Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mt Pocono Mountains AP, 8.5 km from Cresco, elevation 1916 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mt Pocono Mountains 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 May 6 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 154 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 21

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 2May 30May 27May 23May 20May 18May 14May 9May 2
32°FMay 23May 18May 14May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 21
28°FMay 13May 7May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
24°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7

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 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19Oct 25
28°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Dec 1
16°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14

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°F152146139135131127124119112
32°F176168163158154150146141134
28°F202194189184179174169163157
24°F225218214210206202197190181
20°F250243238232228224220215209
16°F271262256253249244240234226

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
7,247
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
289
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,023
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,977
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,069
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,312
Growing degree days, base 60°F
710

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31300
February1,11601
March1,00107
April619251
May32413193
June10753398
July27117555
August4980496
September20122281
October528177
November818010
December1,14402

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 8.5 km from Cresco. 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 USW00054789 (Mt Pocono Mountains AP). Public domain.