Sharon climate

Sharon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for York 5 Sse, 13.5 km from Sharon, elevation 660 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for York 5 Sse. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 216 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 13, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 21, first November 14

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 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
32°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
28°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 9Mar 2
24°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1Feb 23Feb 11
20°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18Feb 8Jan 31Jan 24
16°FMar 12Mar 4Feb 27Feb 16Feb 5Jan 31Jan 24Jan 15Jan 4

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 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
32°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
28°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 2
24°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 17Dec 28
20°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 7Jan 14
16°FDec 10Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 7Jan 12Jan 17Jan 26Feb 5

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°F215208204200196193188184177
32°F237230224220216212208203198
28°F264253247242238234229223217
24°F299286277271264258251245236
20°F334322311303295288282275262
16°F365355345337330319307300289

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
3,457
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,565
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,508
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,999
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,648
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,457
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,431

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January766026
February601042
March4705120
April20234300
May54131543
June2308756
July0435900
August0389854
September18219651
October19040328
November472289
December682040

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 Sharon. 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 USC00389625 (York 5 Sse). Public domain.