Spangler climate

Spangler Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Prince Gallitzin SP, 18.4 km from Spangler, elevation 1520 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Prince Gallitzin SP. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 149 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 18

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 20May 17May 11May 4
32°FMay 28May 24May 19May 14May 10May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25
28°FMay 18May 11May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
24°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 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 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 8
32°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 21
28°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 13Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
16°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11

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°F147139134129125121117112104
32°F171163157153149145140134127
28°F193186180176171166160155148
24°F218210204200196191186181172
20°F244236231226222217213207200
16°F269261254248243238233228221

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
6,640
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
471
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,541
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,438
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,481
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,660
Growing degree days, base 60°F
983

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24101
February1,06302
March924013
April541380
May26428259
June7193474
July18167614
August27132570
September15744346
October4794101
November774017
December1,08203

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 18.4 km from Spangler. 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 USC00367167 (Prince Gallitzin SP). Public domain.