Spry climate

Spry Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for York 3 Ssw Pump Stn, 5.5 km from Spry, elevation 390 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for York 3 Ssw Pump Stn. 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 177 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 8, first October 31

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 24May 19May 15May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 13May 7May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 7
28°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
24°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
20°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27
16°FMar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 27Feb 22Feb 14

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 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
32°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13
16°FNov 20Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 23Dec 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F175167162157153149145139133
32°F200192186181177172167162155
28°F225217212207203199195189182
24°F249242236231227223219214207
20°F278270264259254249244238231
16°F305296291285279274268263252

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
5,017
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,025
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,971
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,689
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,556
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,570
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,727

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04604
February86105
March703135
April35614168
May13071409
June19205636
July0322787
August2274736
September58121514
October30918207
November618047
December91409

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 5.5 km from Spry. 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 USC00369933 (York 3 Ssw Pump Stn). Public domain.