North Springfield climate

North Springfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Springfield Hartness AP, 1.3 km from North Springfield, elevation 578 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Springfield Hartness 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 13

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 3May 31May 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 10
32°FMay 28May 22May 19May 16May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 28
28°FMay 14May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
24°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21
16°FApr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13

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 9Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
28°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 29
24°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23
16°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 27Dec 1Dec 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°F139133128124120116112108102
32°F163157152148143139135130122
28°F189182176171167162159155149
24°F213207203199195190186180172
20°F239232226222219215211206200
16°F260253248244240237233228223

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
7,431
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
377
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,082
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,071
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,193
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,441
Growing degree days, base 60°F
828

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,37900
February1,17700
March1,03704
April637138
May30613203
June9167427
July17150598
August34113544
September18832303
October537168
November84008
December1,18701

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 1.3 km from North Springfield. 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 USW00054740 (Springfield Hartness AP). Public domain.