Bennington climate

Bennington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bennington Morse St AP, 4.3 km from Bennington, elevation 826 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bennington Morse St AP. 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 May 11 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 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°FJun 7Jun 2May 30May 27May 24May 21May 18May 14May 9
32°FMay 28May 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 5Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 15May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
24°FMay 1Apr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
16°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11

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°FSep 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 17
28°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26Nov 1
24°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 28
16°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8

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°F140133128124120116112107101
32°F163157152147143139134129122
28°F191183178173169164160154145
24°F219212207202197192187182173
20°F244236231226222217213208201
16°F265258252248244240234230222

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
100% 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
7,019
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
371
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,259
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,184
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,257
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,469
Growing degree days, base 60°F
832

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31400
February1,12601
March98007
April587256
May28717223
June8665430
July20141586
August37107535
September18236312
October503389
November783016
December1,11403

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 Bennington. 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 USW00054781 (Bennington Morse St AP). Public domain.