Albany climate

Albany Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albany, 2.1 km from Albany, elevation 1448 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albany. 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 March 30 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 225 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 13, first November 18

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°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 20
32°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14Mar 6
28°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23
24°FMar 23Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 2
20°FMar 7Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Jan 31Jan 26Jan 13
16°FFeb 28Feb 15Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 22Jan 15Jan 2Dec 24

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 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
32°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
28°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8
24°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22
20°FNov 23Nov 30Dec 6Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26Jan 2Jan 12
16°FDec 3Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13Jan 22Feb 6

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°F226217212207203199194189183
32°F253243236231225221215209201
28°F278268261255249243237232223
24°F306296287281277271264257247
20°F343332323313306299293284273
16°F365365355346338331325314301

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
80% 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
2,666
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,355
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,013
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,396
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,908
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,565
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,379

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January646155
February484594
March31923228
April13083415
May26243682
June1435885
July05661,031
August05491,013
September11317756
October105113482
November34218198
December603270

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 2.1 km from Albany. 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 USC00410120 (Albany). Public domain.