Saltsburg climate

Saltsburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Loyalhanna Lake, 3.2 km from Saltsburg, elevation 990 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Loyalhanna 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 May 2 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 25

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 31May 25May 21May 18May 14May 11May 7May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 18May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 8May 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Feb 28

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 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17
32°FOct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
16°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 19

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°F162155150146142138133128122
32°F183176171168163158154150143
28°F206199195191187182178172164
24°F230223218214209206202198191
20°F254245240235231227222217209
16°F281272267261257250246239232

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
5,999
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
571
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,974
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,799
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,771
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,887
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,149

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15901
February98703
March836023
April475298
May21728293
June46112516
July8199656
August13166618
September10458406
October4146132
November729021
December1,01204

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 3.2 km from Saltsburg. 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 USC00365212 (Loyalhanna Lake). Public domain.