Dublin Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dublin 2SE. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around November 16, a growing season of about 243 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last March 31, first November 6
- Median at 32°F
- last March 16, first November 16
- Median at 28°F
- last March 3, first November 29
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 11 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 23 | Mar 17 | Mar 8 |
| 32°F | Apr 5 | Mar 31 | Mar 26 | Mar 21 | Mar 16 | Mar 12 | Mar 7 | Mar 4 | Feb 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 24 | Mar 16 | Mar 11 | Mar 7 | Mar 3 | Feb 28 | Feb 25 | Feb 18 | Feb 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 11 | Mar 5 | Mar 1 | Feb 25 | Feb 18 | Feb 12 | Feb 7 | Jan 31 | Jan 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Feb 24 | Feb 15 | Feb 8 | Feb 2 | Jan 29 | Jan 23 | Jan 13 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 16 | Feb 8 | Jan 31 | Jan 27 | Jan 20 | Jan 13 | Jan 8 | Jan 2 | Dec 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 29 |
| 16°F | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 245 | 237 | 230 | 225 | 221 | 216 | 211 | 205 | 197 |
| 32°F | 271 | 262 | 255 | 249 | 243 | 238 | 233 | 226 | 217 |
| 28°F | 298 | 290 | 283 | 276 | 270 | 265 | 259 | 252 | 243 |
| 24°F | 332 | 322 | 314 | 307 | 299 | 294 | 286 | 277 | 269 |
| 20°F | 365 | 354 | 344 | 336 | 330 | 325 | 317 | 307 | 297 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 357 | 348 | 339 | 333 | 322 |
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
- 99% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 89% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 55% 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
- 2,627
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 2,207
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 8,882
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 7,261
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 5,769
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 4,422
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 3,234
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 653 | 1 | 53 |
| February | 476 | 4 | 89 |
| March | 307 | 20 | 232 |
| April | 125 | 68 | 401 |
| May | 20 | 220 | 665 |
| June | 1 | 394 | 843 |
| July | 0 | 539 | 1,004 |
| August | 0 | 536 | 1,001 |
| September | 9 | 309 | 750 |
| October | 95 | 104 | 480 |
| November | 339 | 12 | 190 |
| December | 603 | 1 | 61 |
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 4.3 km from Dublin. 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 USC00412598 (Dublin 2SE). Public domain.