Mather climate

Mather Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waynesburg 1 E, 8.8 km from Mather, elevation 940 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waynesburg 1 E. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 22, 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°FMay 29May 25May 22May 18May 14May 11May 7May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 21May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 11May 4Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 26Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9
16°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 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 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
32°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
20°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
16°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14Dec 23

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°F164157152147144140136130124
32°F182177173168164159154149142
28°F205198193189184181176170162
24°F232224219214210206202196186
20°F258250244239235230225220212
16°F286277271265260254249243234

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
5,749
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
663
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,202
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,998
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,943
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,034
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,269

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11705
February94605
March805029
April4525119
May20141320
June43130537
July6220679
August11184639
September10174426
October3999149
November699029
December96908

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 8.8 km from Mather. 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 USC00369367 (Waynesburg 1 E). Public domain.