Rouzerville Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for S Mtn. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 177 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 7, first October 8
- Median at 32°F
- last April 27, first October 20
- Median at 28°F
- last April 13, 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 24 | May 19 | May 14 | May 11 | May 7 | May 5 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | May 14 | May 7 | May 3 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 20 | Apr 17 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | May 1 | Apr 24 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Apr 13 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 24 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F | Apr 4 | Mar 31 | Mar 29 | Mar 26 | Mar 22 | Mar 19 | Mar 16 | Mar 13 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F | Mar 26 | Mar 22 | Mar 19 | Mar 16 | Mar 12 | Mar 9 | Mar 6 | Mar 2 | Feb 24 |
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 24 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 |
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 | 173 | 166 | 161 | 158 | 154 | 149 | 144 | 139 | 132 |
| 32°F | 196 | 190 | 186 | 181 | 177 | 173 | 168 | 163 | 155 |
| 28°F | 221 | 215 | 210 | 206 | 202 | 198 | 193 | 186 | 178 |
| 24°F | 246 | 237 | 233 | 228 | 224 | 220 | 216 | 212 | 205 |
| 20°F | 271 | 262 | 255 | 250 | 246 | 241 | 236 | 231 | 224 |
| 16°F | 298 | 289 | 283 | 277 | 271 | 265 | 260 | 253 | 245 |
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
- 5,995
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 570
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,954
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,782
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,756
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,873
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,142
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,145 | 0 | 3 |
| February | 979 | 0 | 5 |
| March | 863 | 0 | 19 |
| April | 490 | 5 | 97 |
| May | 221 | 27 | 286 |
| June | 45 | 114 | 519 |
| July | 8 | 198 | 656 |
| August | 15 | 161 | 611 |
| September | 119 | 59 | 392 |
| October | 409 | 6 | 139 |
| November | 704 | 0 | 25 |
| December | 998 | 0 | 5 |
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 12.9 km from Rouzerville. 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 USC00368308 (S Mtn). Public domain.