Edgewood climate

Edgewood Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wills Pt, 12.2 km from Edgewood, elevation 520 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wills Pt. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around November 21, a growing season of about 252 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 26, first November 9
Median at 32°F
last March 11, first November 21
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first December 3

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 16Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 5
32°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20
28°FMar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 9Jan 31
24°FMar 8Mar 2Feb 25Feb 16Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 24Jan 12
20°FFeb 28Feb 15Feb 7Feb 1Jan 28Jan 21Jan 13Jan 3Dec 25
16°FFeb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 24Jan 18Jan 10Jan 6Jan 1Dec 25

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 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
32°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
28°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20Dec 28
24°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 8Dec 15Dec 22Dec 28Jan 3Jan 8Jan 19
20°FDec 7Dec 15Dec 23Dec 30Jan 2Jan 8Jan 14Jan 23Feb 5
16°FDec 16Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 20Jan 30Feb 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F256247241235229224218212204
32°F280269264258252247241235228
28°F313300292286280274267259248
24°F351337330323312304297289276
20°F365365363356345336329320305
16°F365365365365365365363352334

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
97% of years
20°F or colder
74% of years
16°F or colder
31% 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
2,428
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,541
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,374
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,727
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,204
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,828
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,605

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January617261
February4516103
March29324243
April10976423
May15249699
June0456906
July05861,051
August05941,058
September4384829
October80137526
November30823220
December550485

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 12.2 km from Edgewood. 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 USC00419800 (Wills Pt). Public domain.