Cherryvale climate

Cherryvale Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wedgefield, 8.5 km from Cherryvale, elevation 250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wedgefield. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around November 13, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 21, first November 13
Median at 28°F
last March 6, first November 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°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15
32°FApr 9Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 8Feb 28
28°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 7
24°FMar 14Mar 6Mar 1Feb 24Feb 16Feb 8Feb 1Jan 28Jan 16
20°FMar 4Feb 23Feb 10Feb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 16Jan 9Dec 28
16°FFeb 18Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 20Jan 14Jan 7Jan 1Dec 24

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 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 20
32°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29Dec 5
28°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 26
24°FNov 18Nov 27Dec 3Dec 8Dec 16Dec 22Dec 30Jan 5Jan 15
20°FDec 4Dec 13Dec 20Dec 28Jan 2Jan 7Jan 14Jan 23Feb 5
16°FDec 13Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 20Jan 28Feb 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°F242232226220216211206201193
32°F270260252245239234228221214
28°F303292285277269262256247237
24°F342330319308302295287277264
20°F365364351342334327316306295
16°F365365365365365360346336324

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
82% of years
16°F or colder
46% 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
2,315
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,049
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,941
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,260
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,713
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,325
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,097

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January573172
February429394
March29218232
April10577425
May17214662
June1375825
July0488953
August0454919
September4303748
October8796477
November30516207
December503599

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 8.5 km from Cherryvale. 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 USC00389039 (Wedgefield). Public domain.