Freeport climate

Freeport Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Schenley Lock 5, 1.7 km from Freeport, elevation 783 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Schenley Lock 5. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 17
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 11

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 19May 14May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20
32°FMay 9May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11Apr 6
28°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
24°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Feb 28
16°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 13

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°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 27
24°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 9
20°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24
16°FNov 26Dec 3Dec 10Dec 14Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 8

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°F186180175171166163157151144
32°F210204200195190187182177170
28°F238230225220215212208203195
24°F263255249245240235231225218
20°F289281274268262258253246238
16°F311304299292287282277271260

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
5,586
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
795
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,442
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,241
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,179
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,251
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,449

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14801
February94500
March836011
April3844155
May16055368
June25157582
July6250710
August5221680
September7294473
October34214180
November688018
December97501

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 1.7 km from Freeport. 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 USC00367863 (Schenley Lock 5). Public domain.