Buffalo climate

Buffalo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Union 8 S, 13.5 km from Buffalo, elevation 480 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Union 8 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 April 6 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 207 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 26, 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 4Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3
32°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
28°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 6
24°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 14
20°FMar 20Mar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17Feb 9Feb 3Jan 26
16°FMar 6Feb 27Feb 16Feb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 15Jan 5

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 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 29Nov 2
32°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 12
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22Nov 29
24°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 21
20°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 9
16°FDec 2Dec 8Dec 17Dec 25Dec 31Jan 5Jan 11Jan 17Jan 28

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°F206200194190186182178173165
32°F229221216211207203199193188
28°F256247240235230225220215207
24°F289279270264259253246240230
20°F328316307300293286279270259
16°F359347338332326318310301291

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
92% 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
3,296
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,649
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,700
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,162
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,790
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,581
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,532

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January746028
February569143
March4377133
April18442320
May49142559
June3328775
July0445910
August0403868
September17231664
October17745344
November4495105
December666140

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 13.5 km from Buffalo. 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 USC00388786 (Union 8 S). Public domain.