Buffalo climate

Buffalo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buffalo Asos, 2.3 km from Buffalo, elevation 3004 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buffalo Asos. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 141 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 20, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 8

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°FJun 2May 29May 26May 23May 20May 18May 15May 12May 9
32°FMay 23May 18May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 14May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 15
24°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
20°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
16°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17Mar 9

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 7Sep 12Sep 16Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
24°FSep 30Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
20°FOct 8Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
16°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19

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°F140135130127123118115110104
32°F159153149145141138134129123
28°F181174168164160156152147140
24°F201193188184179174170165158
20°F221214208203199194190183175
16°F241234228222217213208202195

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
7,669
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
580
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,301
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,282
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,404
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,663
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,053

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,35900
February1,16601
March97709
April647138
May34810183
June9776431
July13233685
August30199634
September19058338
October595377
November96308
December1,28300

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 2.3 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 USW00094037 (Buffalo Asos). Public domain.