Lafayette climate

Lafayette Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lancaster Edgar Evins Marina, 15.1 km from Lafayette, elevation 630 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lancaster Edgar Evins Marina. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 215 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 15

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 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 18
28°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 3
24°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 17
20°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 17Feb 10Feb 2
16°FMar 12Mar 3Feb 25Feb 19Feb 14Feb 9Feb 4Jan 31Jan 21

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 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
32°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
24°FNov 8Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13Dec 23
20°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22Dec 26Jan 1Jan 9
16°FDec 5Dec 14Dec 22Dec 28Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 16Jan 24

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°F213206202196192189184179171
32°F237229224219215211207202195
28°F264255249243238232227221214
24°F292282274269261256250243234
20°F322311303296291284277269259
16°F345333327320313308303295286

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
97% 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
3,615
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,606
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,503
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,021
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,686
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,510
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,484

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January833020
February664128
March4924107
April21735293
May56138548
June2318766
July0431896
August0392857
September16236670
October17646351
November4484114
December712038

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 15.1 km from Lafayette. 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 USC00405035 (Lancaster Edgar Evins Marina). Public domain.