Milton climate

Milton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Essex Junction 1 N, 14.7 km from Milton, elevation 340 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Essex Junction 1 N. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 11, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 24

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°FMay 30May 25May 21May 18May 16May 12May 8May 5May 1
32°FMay 17May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
24°FApr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
16°FApr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14

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 19Sep 23Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26
28°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
24°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19
20°FNov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30
16°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9

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°F157150146142137134130125117
32°F178172168164160156152147141
28°F203196191187183178174169163
24°F226220216212208203200195188
20°F243238234229226223219215210
16°F260253248244241237234229223

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
7,306
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
568
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,513
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,467
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,552
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,755
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,088

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,42101
February1,22100
March1,05906
April617354
May26430259
June66111496
July13201652
August24165606
September14755367
October492395
November800015
December1,18301

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 14.7 km from Milton. 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 USC00432843 (Essex Junction 1 N). Public domain.