Bowie climate

Bowie Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bowie, 0.9 km from Bowie, elevation 1080 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bowie. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 228 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 27, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 13, first November 19

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 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27Mar 20
32°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 4
28°FApr 3Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22
24°FMar 22Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12Feb 1
20°FMar 10Mar 2Feb 26Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 25Jan 14
16°FMar 1Feb 19Feb 9Feb 3Jan 29Jan 23Jan 17Jan 7Dec 29

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 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
28°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7
24°FNov 10Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 25
20°FNov 21Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10Dec 16Dec 22Dec 28Jan 5Jan 15
16°FDec 4Dec 13Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 19Feb 1

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°F230222217212208204199193185
32°F255246238233228223217212203
28°F278268261256251246240233223
24°F308296289284276270264256248
20°F337328318312306299292284273
16°F365365352343336331324313302

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
97% of years
16°F or colder
82% 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
2,946
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,186
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,616
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,039
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,602
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,309
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,167

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January712134
February532373
March35318206
April15060372
May31193627
June0401850
July05471,012
August05471,012
September10309749
October12098453
November38110165
December658149

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 0.9 km from Bowie. 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 USC00410984 (Bowie). Public domain.