Dunmore climate

Dunmore Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wilkes-Barre Intl AP, 12.5 km from Dunmore, elevation 930 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wilkes-Barre Intl 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 April 23 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 10, 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 16May 12May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 10May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 26Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30
24°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
20°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5
16°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 2Feb 24

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

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°F176169164159155151147141132
32°F200193187182178174169163156
28°F226219214210206202198192184
24°F250243237233229225221217211
20°F274265260256251246241236230
16°F296288282277272267262257248

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
5,740
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
791
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,349
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,154
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,103
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,188
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,413

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14703
February97002
March830022
April4528116
May17750345
June33153570
July3271733
August8217674
September9682439
October3759161
November668035
December98305

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 12.5 km from Dunmore. 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 USW00014777 (Wilkes-Barre Intl AP). Public domain.