Basye climate

Basye Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Edinburg, 17.9 km from Basye, elevation 928 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Edinburg. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 28

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 22May 17May 13May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23
32°FMay 13May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16
20°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7Mar 1
16°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16

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 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30
28°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 25

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°F173166162157154149145139133
32°F194187182178174170165160153
28°F217209205201197193189183175
24°F245236230226222218214209202
20°F273263258251246242237232223
16°F298289283278272266261254247

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
5,219
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
807
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,579
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,318
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,211
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,257
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,455

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02606
February85406
March735033
April4078135
May16746350
June26163587
July2270733
August6223682
September7587463
October3519173
November647035
December92209

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 17.9 km from Basye. 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 USC00442663 (Edinburg). Public domain.