Esmont climate

Esmont Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Charlottesville 2W, 23.6 km from Esmont, elevation 866 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Charlottesville 2W. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 10, a growing season of about 222 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 22

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°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
32°FApr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 16
28°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
24°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 18
20°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 12Feb 4
16°FMar 8Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18Feb 13Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 17

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 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8Nov 13
32°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 28
28°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
24°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 30
20°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 13Dec 18Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 8Jan 16
16°FDec 15Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 15Jan 21Feb 1

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°F217211207203200196191187179
32°F245237231226222218214210204
28°F273263257251246241236230224
24°F299290283277272265260253244
20°F323313306302297292285278268
16°F352337330324317312306302294

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
96% 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
4,109
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,341
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,852
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,440
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,186
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,080
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,132

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January893012
February725018
March580480
April27033250
May93105479
June12265703
July1393857
August2341804
September35167582
October22631287
November498391
December775122

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 23.6 km from Esmont. 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 USC00441593 (Charlottesville 2W). Public domain.