Wilder climate

Wilder Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hanover, 4.1 km from Wilder, elevation 584 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hanover. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 19, 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 27May 21May 18May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 15May 10May 6May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21
28°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29
20°FApr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10

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 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 29
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2
16°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11

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°F159153149144141138134130124
32°F181175171167162159156151146
28°F205199194190186182178172166
24°F230223218214210207203198191
20°F249243237233230226222218211
16°F267260256251247244239233226

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
6,827
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
622
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,722
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,644
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,696
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,870
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,173

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34400
February1,13800
March97206
April559363
May22929279
June50113513
July6228687
August14182634
September12564392
October4623106
November782015
December1,14702

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 4.1 km from Wilder. 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 USC00273850 (Hanover). Public domain.