Oneida climate

Oneida Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oneida, 1.7 km from Oneida, elevation 1440 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oneida. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 7, 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 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
32°FMay 12May 7May 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 30Apr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
24°FApr 12Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 8
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22
16°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13Feb 4

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 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30
28°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 14
16°FNov 15Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 20Dec 26Jan 2

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°F177170166162158154149145139
32°F198190185181177172167162155
28°F223215211205201197192186178
24°F251242235230225221215209201
20°F281271264259252247241235227
16°F316304296289283277270261252

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
4,547
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
958
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,192
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,829
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,628
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,585
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,695

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January938014
February752018
March614264
April31713203
May12162412
June14187622
July1300764
August3260722
September53119517
October30815218
November596154
December831020

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 1.7 km from Oneida. 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 USC00406829 (Oneida). Public domain.