Oberlin climate

Oberlin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Harrisburg 1 Ne, 6.5 km from Oberlin, elevation 420 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Harrisburg 1 Ne. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 5

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 15May 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
28°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
24°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 6
20°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25
16°FMar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 11

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 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 28
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
28°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21
24°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4
20°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 23
16°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 20Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13

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°F184177172168165160155150143
32°F210203198193189184180174167
28°F236229223219214209205201193
24°F261254249244239235231226218
20°F291283276271266262257252243
16°F316307300296291286281274266

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
5,614
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
890
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,455
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,259
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,209
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,295
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,523

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,11001
February95202
March805018
April4408116
May16950352
June24187613
July2310773
August5242702
September8685450
October3789154
November677023
December96904

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 6.5 km from Oberlin. 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 USC00363698 (Harrisburg 1 Ne). Public domain.