Salisbury climate

Salisbury Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Meyersdale 2 Ssw, 4.6 km from Salisbury, elevation 2000 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Meyersdale 2 Ssw. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 146 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 16

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 6Jun 2May 30May 27May 24May 21May 17May 13May 7
32°FMay 28May 23May 19May 15May 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 25
28°FMay 19May 13May 8May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
24°FMay 6Apr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9

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 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7
32°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
28°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Nov 1
24°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24
16°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 10

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°F146138133128125121117112106
32°F168161155150146141137132125
28°F190183179174170166160154146
24°F216210204199194190185179170
20°F241233228224219215210205197
16°F265257251246241236232226219

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
6,807
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
304
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,238
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,140
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,195
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,401
Growing degree days, base 60°F
758

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22302
February1,06002
March939011
April575162
May30711208
June9057419
July26116555
August4287510
September16630320
October503392
November794013
December1,08202

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 4.6 km from Salisbury. 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 USC00365686 (Meyersdale 2 Ssw). Public domain.