Bellwood climate

Bellwood Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Richmond Intl AP, 13.8 km from Bellwood, elevation 164 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Richmond Intl 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 April 3 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 215 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 15

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

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 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
32°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
28°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3
24°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 22
20°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19Dec 24Dec 29Jan 3Jan 11
16°FDec 9Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 14Jan 19Jan 31

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°F211204200196192189184179171
32°F236229223219215212207202195
28°F262254248243239234230225218
24°F293283276270266261256251243
20°F324314307301295289283276267
16°F351339332326321314308303294

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
95% 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
3,736
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,561
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,321
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,852
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,543
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,393
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,400

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January828020
February672027
March519599
April23537274
May72126520
June6308751
July0445910
August0389854
September22206634
October19740319
November4653102
December720133

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 13.8 km from Bellwood. 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 USW00013740 (Richmond Intl AP). Public domain.