Cranston climate

Cranston Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Providence T F Green AP, 6.5 km from Cranston, elevation 60 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Providence T F Green AP. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 9

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 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
32°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
28°FApr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
24°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7
20°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 25
16°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 11

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°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 12
28°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
24°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
20°FNov 20Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 4Dec 8Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23
16°FDec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 19Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 7

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°F191186182178175171168164159
32°F216211206202199196192188183
28°F242235230225221217213210205
24°F267259254249245240236230224
20°F289282277273269264258253244
16°F312304299294289285281276267

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
5,478
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
812
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,395
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,161
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,090
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,178
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,420

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07902
February92401
March808012
April475379
May21228287
June39136548
July2293756
August3252715
September7191470
October3369176
November615039
December91406

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 6.5 km from Cranston. 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 USW00014765 (Providence T F Green AP). Public domain.