Espy climate

Espy Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bear Gap, 21.9 km from Espy, elevation 1015 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bear Gap. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 2

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 26May 21May 17May 13May 9May 6May 1Apr 28Apr 22
32°FMay 15May 9May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
28°FMay 3Apr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
24°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15
20°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 3
16°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22

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 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 2
20°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15
16°FNov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20Dec 24Dec 30

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°F171163157153148144139134126
32°F195188183178172168163159150
28°F225217212207202197192186178
24°F249242236232228224220215208
20°F277266260256251247242236229
16°F298291285279273268263257249

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
5,922
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
654
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,090
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,918
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,888
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,998
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,248

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17602
February97704
March832021
April4656106
May19734313
June35126542
July4236697
August11177631
September11167408
October4017141
November707022
December1,00603

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 21.9 km from Espy. 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 USC00360457 (Bear Gap). Public domain.