Wellington climate

Wellington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wellington, 1.6 km from Wellington, elevation 2040 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wellington. 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 4, a growing season of about 215 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 19, first November 12

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 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
32°FApr 21Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 14
28°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
24°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14
20°FMar 13Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 17Feb 12Feb 6Jan 29
16°FMar 3Feb 25Feb 19Feb 14Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 19Jan 6

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 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8
32°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28
24°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
20°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 31
16°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 10Dec 17Dec 22Dec 28Jan 3Jan 10Jan 24

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°F216210205201197193189183176
32°F237229224219215211206200193
28°F262254249243239234228222213
24°F287280273268264258253246236
20°F319309301295289282277270260
16°F353340331322316309303292279

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
95% 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
2,950
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,399
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,816
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,233
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,794
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,510
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,378

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January711026
February542159
March34117210
April13174404
May26242681
June1465915
July06011,066
August05691,034
September7336778
October11588447
November3996144
December677032

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 1.6 km from Wellington. 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 USC00419565 (Wellington). Public domain.