Elk County climate

Elk County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ridgway, 8.4 km from Elk County, elevation 1360 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ridgway. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 25

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 7Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 22May 18May 13May 8
32°FMay 28May 24May 20May 18May 13May 10May 5May 1Apr 26
28°FMay 19May 13May 8May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17
24°FMay 8May 1Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8

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 15Sep 20Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 18

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°F148141136132127123119115108
32°F174166159155150146141136127
28°F197189184180175171167161152
24°F222216210206201196190184177
20°F249241236232228224219214207
16°F271264258253248243238233226

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
6,730
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
406
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,413
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,315
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,364
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,554
Growing degree days, base 60°F
893

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24102
February1,07801
March952011
April574162
May28225241
June8178448
July24143584
August32116549
September15439342
October4735103
November771016
December1,06903

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 8.4 km from Elk County. 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 USC00367477 (Ridgway). Public domain.