Fairview climate

Fairview Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr, 2 km from Fairview, elevation 860 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 209 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 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 4Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 1
32°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
28°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 6
24°FApr 3Mar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22
20°FMar 20Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13Feb 6
16°FMar 9Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 22

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 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 2
32°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 16
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Dec 1
24°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
20°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 27
16°FNov 29Dec 4Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20Dec 25Dec 30Jan 5Jan 14

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°F208200194189185182178172164
32°F230222217213209203199193186
28°F257247241236231226222216207
24°F284275268261256250245239229
20°F311300292286281275269262252
16°F335326319312307301294286275

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
99% 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
3,790
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,545
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,369
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,908
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,588
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,422
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,409

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January862023
February678137
March48210129
April21943302
May65138539
June3295742
July0419883
August1385849
September27210633
October21041315
November483399
December760037

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 km from Fairview. 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 USC00402989 (Fairview Bowie Nat Ctr). Public domain.