Robesonia Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Blue Marsh Lake. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 176 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 8, first October 8
- Median at 32°F
- last April 26, first October 19
- Median at 28°F
- last April 12, first November 1
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 23 | May 18 | May 14 | May 10 | May 8 | May 5 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | May 12 | May 7 | May 4 | Apr 30 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | May 1 | Apr 23 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F | Apr 15 | Apr 9 | Apr 5 | Apr 2 | Mar 31 | Mar 29 | Mar 25 | Mar 21 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F | Apr 2 | Mar 30 | Mar 26 | Mar 22 | Mar 18 | Mar 15 | Mar 12 | Mar 7 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F | Mar 24 | Mar 19 | Mar 15 | Mar 11 | Mar 8 | Mar 5 | Mar 1 | Feb 25 | Feb 18 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 174 | 167 | 161 | 157 | 154 | 149 | 144 | 140 | 134 |
| 32°F | 198 | 191 | 185 | 180 | 176 | 171 | 166 | 161 | 152 |
| 28°F | 221 | 215 | 210 | 206 | 202 | 198 | 193 | 188 | 179 |
| 24°F | 247 | 240 | 235 | 230 | 226 | 222 | 218 | 214 | 207 |
| 20°F | 273 | 265 | 259 | 254 | 249 | 246 | 241 | 235 | 228 |
| 16°F | 300 | 292 | 286 | 280 | 275 | 269 | 264 | 258 | 250 |
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
- 5,717
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 843
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,374
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,182
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,139
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,229
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,464
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,136 | 0 | 2 |
| February | 973 | 0 | 2 |
| March | 816 | 0 | 18 |
| April | 454 | 5 | 108 |
| May | 191 | 44 | 326 |
| June | 34 | 164 | 581 |
| July | 3 | 291 | 753 |
| August | 6 | 237 | 696 |
| September | 85 | 92 | 460 |
| October | 373 | 10 | 161 |
| November | 674 | 0 | 28 |
| December | 975 | 0 | 4 |
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 9.6 km from Robesonia. 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 USC00360785 (Blue Marsh Lake). Public domain.