Bowdle climate

Bowdle Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Roscoe, 24.8 km from Bowdle, elevation 1835 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Roscoe. 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 May 7 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 12

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 28May 24May 21May 18May 16May 13May 11May 9May 5
32°FMay 20May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 24
28°FMay 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
24°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
20°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 27
16°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22Mar 16

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°FSep 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16
28°FSep 30Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24
24°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
20°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
16°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21

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°F147142138135131129125121115
32°F165159155152148145141136130
28°F184177173169166162159155148
24°F203197191187183179174170162
20°F220214209205201197193188182
16°F238231226221217213210205199

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
8,624
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
503
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,126
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,165
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,318
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,588
Growing degree days, base 60°F
979

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,63400
February1,36100
March1,13804
April689036
May32918208
June7690466
July19197643
August35153583
September20543308
October622267
November1,05503
December1,46300

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 24.8 km from Bowdle. 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 USC00397277 (Roscoe). Public domain.