Wilmot climate

Wilmot Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wilmot, 0.3 km from Wilmot, elevation 1201 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wilmot. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 149 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 11

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

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 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4
32°FSep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22

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°F149143139136133130126122116
32°F165159156152149146143139133
28°F188180175171167164160156150
24°F207201196191187183179174167
20°F225218212209205201196192184
16°F243236230227222218213209202

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
8,442
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
536
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,283
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,295
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,421
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,673
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,040

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,63800
February1,37700
March1,12308
April675040
May30125232
June55112508
July12204657
August30140575
September18850325
October585475
November1,01603
December1,44100

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 0.3 km from Wilmot. 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 USC00399337 (Wilmot). Public domain.