Cresson climate

Cresson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Altoona 3 W, 11.3 km from Cresson, elevation 1320 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Altoona 3 W. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 3

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 22May 17May 12May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 11May 6May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
28°FMay 1Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1
24°FApr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8
16°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25

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 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17
24°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29
20°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 19Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 27

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°F175168163159155151147140133
32°F198191185181176172167162155
28°F223216211207202198193187178
24°F246239234230226222218213208
20°F270262257252247243239234227
16°F293286280275270264260254246

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
6,175
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
586
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,917
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,768
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,757
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,889
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,160

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20001
February1,01501
March872118
April4845103
May22036296
June49113515
July7204662
August14166617
September12057391
October4206128
November729022
December1,04803

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 11.3 km from Cresson. 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 USC00360140 (Altoona 3 W). Public domain.