Fairfield Glade climate

Fairfield Glade Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lancing 6 Nw, 21.9 km from Fairfield Glade, elevation 1520 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lancing 6 Nw. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first October 27

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 22May 16May 12May 8May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 17
32°FMay 12May 4Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 4
28°FApr 27Apr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
24°FApr 12Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11Feb 28
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 24Feb 16
16°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 8Jan 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°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 30
28°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 28
20°FNov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 15
16°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 28Jan 4

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°F178171166162158154149143136
32°F201192187182177173167162152
28°F226217212207203198191184176
24°F255245239234228223217212205
20°F287275268261255249243236226
16°F319307299292284277270261250

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
4,313
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
980
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,356
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,957
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,723
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,655
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,739

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January902012
February722016
March569385
April30121221
May11673426
June13196633
July1289753
August2261724
September48120522
October27517242
November563167
December800021

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 21.9 km from Fairfield Glade. 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 USC00405040 (Lancing 6 Nw). Public domain.