Kent County climate

Kent County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jayton, 20.7 km from Kent County, elevation 2010 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jayton. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 220 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 15, first November 14

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 28Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
32°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 17Mar 9
28°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27
24°FMar 24Mar 15Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 11
20°FMar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 17Feb 12Feb 6Feb 1Jan 21
16°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 10Feb 5Jan 31Jan 24Jan 16Jan 6Dec 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 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
32°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17
28°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14
20°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 13Dec 17Dec 22Jan 1
16°FNov 28Dec 5Dec 12Dec 19Dec 23Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13Jan 28

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°F220212207202198194190184178
32°F242235229224220216210204196
28°F266258251246242237232224216
24°F293284276272266262256250241
20°F329316306300293287281274264
16°F364352343335328322312302291

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
91% 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
2,991
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,328
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,715
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,141
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,711
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,427
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,299

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January706033
February537266
March35519204
April14677395
May35243674
June1448897
July05771,042
August05491,014
September14308744
October12595448
November39710157
December676039

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 20.7 km from Kent County. 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 USC00414570 (Jayton). Public domain.