Bowman climate

Bowman Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Orangeburg 2, 23.6 km from Bowman, elevation 185 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Orangeburg 2. 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 March 13 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 249 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 28, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 13, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last February 23, first December 2

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°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 8
32°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26Feb 17
28°FMar 18Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23Feb 17Feb 9Feb 2Jan 26
24°FMar 3Feb 24Feb 13Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 14Jan 4
20°FFeb 16Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 3Dec 27
16°FFeb 8Jan 30Jan 26Jan 22Jan 18Jan 14Jan 11Jan 7Jan 1

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 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19
32°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Dec 1Dec 7
28°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13Dec 24Jan 2
24°FNov 29Dec 4Dec 11Dec 20Dec 28Jan 2Jan 8Jan 14Jan 29
20°FDec 12Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 7Jan 12Jan 18Jan 25Feb 4
16°FDec 30Jan 4Jan 7Jan 11Jan 15Jan 17Jan 22Jan 26Feb 2

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°F245238232226223219214208200
32°F281269261255249244238232223
28°F320307300291286279270262251
24°F363348338331323315307299287
20°F365365365365357347340333319
16°F365365365365365365365365347

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
91% of years
20°F or colder
59% of years
16°F or colder
19% 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
2,095
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,337
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,419
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,704
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,113
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,685
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,421

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January527387
February3877119
March24929274
April8790455
May14251702
June0429879
July0533998
August0510975
September4341787
October75117509
November28221219
December4706109

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 23.6 km from Bowman. 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 USC00386527 (Orangeburg 2). Public domain.