Wyalusing climate

Wyalusing Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Towanda 1 S, 17.6 km from Wyalusing, elevation 760 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Towanda 1 S. 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 15, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 30

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 29May 24May 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 16May 11May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25
20°FApr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 3

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 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Nov 1
28°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11
24°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 24

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°F162155150146143139135130123
32°F185179173169165160156151145
28°F210204200195191186181176169
24°F236228223219215212207203196
20°F260252246242237233229224219
16°F283274267262257253248243236

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
6,359
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
595
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,794
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,674
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,695
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,853
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,147

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20702
February1,04601
March921011
April540374
May23934278
June52118516
July8210666
August17165614
September12458387
October4336124
November737020
December1,03503

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 17.6 km from Wyalusing. 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 USC00368905 (Towanda 1 S). Public domain.