Belle Haven climate

Belle Haven Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Painter 2 W, 3.4 km from Belle Haven, elevation 30 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Painter 2 W. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around November 7, a growing season of about 216 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 7
Median at 28°F
last March 23, first November 20

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 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 21
28°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 6
24°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20
20°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 30
16°FFeb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 10Feb 5Jan 31Jan 28Jan 19Jan 9

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°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 9
32°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
28°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6
24°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20Dec 29
20°FDec 2Dec 8Dec 15Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 19
16°FDec 18Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 13Jan 19Jan 26Feb 3

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°F211205200196192188184180172
32°F236229224220216213207203196
28°F264257251246242238234229221
24°F299289282277271266260252243
20°F332320313308303298291284276
16°F365353343335329324317311304

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
88% 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
3,660
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,440
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,227
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,744
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,422
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,264
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,271

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January797021
February669024
March548380
April26228245
May84106487
June9279720
July0418883
August0355820
September16202636
October16645351
November4293116
December679140

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 3.4 km from Belle Haven. 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 USC00446475 (Painter 2 W). Public domain.