Eureka Mill climate

Eureka Mill Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chester 1 Se, 3.7 km from Eureka Mill, elevation 560 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chester 1 Se. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 213 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 20, first November 13

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 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
32°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Feb 27
24°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 14Mar 9Mar 6Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 8
20°FMar 15Mar 7Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 11Feb 4Jan 29Jan 18
16°FMar 3Feb 22Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 12Dec 31

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 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 18
28°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28Dec 3
24°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 15Dec 27
20°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 16
16°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 21Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 15Jan 19Feb 1

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°F212205201196192188184180173
32°F237228222217213209205199193
28°F264256249242237232226221214
24°F300289280273266260254246236
20°F335325315306300294286278267
16°F365356346338332326318306296

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
87% 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
3,303
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,668
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,725
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,190
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,818
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,606
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,557

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January744030
February583141
March4327139
April19038313
May48150568
June3335781
July0450914
August0405870
September16232666
October17446347
November4495107
December664143

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 3.7 km from Eureka Mill. 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 USC00381633 (Chester 1 Se). Public domain.