Central Falls climate

Central Falls Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Woonsocket, 13.2 km from Central Falls, elevation 110 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Woonsocket. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 7, 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 19May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
28°FApr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28
24°FApr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12
20°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 21

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 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17Oct 23
32°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29
20°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15
16°FNov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26

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°F175168163159156152148143137
32°F198192187182179175170165158
28°F224218213209205201196190183
24°F250243238233229225220215208
20°F275268262258253248243239230
16°F298289284279274270265259253

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
5,800
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
760
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,201
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,009
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,976
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,090
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,353

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13701
February96602
March845015
April488583
May22030287
June44131538
July3271733
August9229685
September8986448
October3817149
November651032
December96704

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 13.2 km from Central Falls. 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 USC00379423 (Woonsocket). Public domain.