Potter County climate

Potter County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Coudersport 7SE, 6.3 km from Potter County, elevation 2150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Coudersport 7SE. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last May 2, first October 17

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°FJun 14Jun 7Jun 3Jun 1May 29May 26May 22May 18May 12
32°FMay 30May 26May 22May 18May 14May 10May 7May 3Apr 28
28°FMay 20May 15May 9May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
24°FMay 7May 1Apr 28Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
16°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12

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 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 7
32°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 14Oct 19
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 3
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 16
20°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9

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°F13913112712211711210810296
32°F164157151147143138133127120
28°F190183177172167162157151143
24°F214208202198192187183177169
20°F241233227222218214210204196
16°F263256250245241236232226220

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
7,538
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
237
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,858
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,838
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,954
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,208
Growing degree days, base 60°F
629

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33700
February1,16101
March1,04209
April644148
May33912191
June12043376
July4989505
August6666465
September21725270
October546279
November84809
December1,17001

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 6.3 km from Potter County. 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 USC00361810 (Coudersport 7SE). Public domain.