North Braddock climate

North Braddock Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Braddock Lock 2, 1.8 km from North Braddock, elevation 730 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Braddock Lock 2. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around November 10, a growing season of about 219 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 23

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

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 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 12
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
28°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10
24°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 17Dec 23
20°FNov 27Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 7
16°FDec 10Dec 15Dec 21Dec 25Dec 29Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 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°F213206199194189185180174165
32°F240233228223219214210205196
28°F263256250245241236232226220
24°F286278272267262258252246238
20°F309301294289285280274268260
16°F330321313307302299293288279

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
5,415
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
866
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,598
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,357
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,275
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,338
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,534

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09902
February94903
March789021
April4183126
May16749360
June19161593
July1283747
August2250713
September68106489
October33613187
November636031
December93104

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 1.8 km from North Braddock. 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 USC00360861 (Braddock Lock 2). Public domain.