Waymart climate

Waymart Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pleasant Mt 1 W, 18 km from Waymart, elevation 1800 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pleasant Mt 1 W. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 140 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 12

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 8Jun 4Jun 1May 29May 27May 24May 21May 17May 12
32°FMay 29May 24May 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5Apr 30
28°FMay 18May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
24°FMay 6Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
20°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
16°FApr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18

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 10Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3
32°FSep 21Sep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 15
28°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 25Oct 31
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 18Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24
16°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4

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°F135129126122118115111107100
32°F158152147143140136132128121
28°F185178173168163159155150142
24°F212205200195191186181174167
20°F235227222218215211206201195
16°F254248243238234230226221215

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
7,837
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
236
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,728
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,739
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,887
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,176
Growing degree days, base 60°F
614

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38100
February1,20300
March1,09303
April691134
May35811171
June12945369
July4394516
August6566467
September22719259
October571162
November87606
December1,20101

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 km from Waymart. 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 USC00367029 (Pleasant Mt 1 W). Public domain.