Franklin climate

Franklin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Holland 1 E, 13.7 km from Franklin, elevation 80 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Holland 1 E. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 12

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 7May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 4
32°FApr 25Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
28°FApr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7
24°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19
20°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 8Feb 1
16°FMar 6Feb 25Feb 19Feb 11Feb 6Feb 2Jan 30Jan 23Jan 14

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 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5
32°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 21
20°FNov 21Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 23Dec 30Jan 4Jan 12
16°FDec 8Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 14Jan 19Jan 30

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°F205200195190187183178173165
32°F228221216212208204199194186
28°F258249242237232228224218211
24°F292281273267261256250244235
20°F324314307300295288280273263
16°F356344335330326319312303295

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
93% 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
3,536
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,538
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,434
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,934
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,595
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,418
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,395

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January783027
February636030
March4945110
April23740280
May72126520
June8300742
July0426891
August0369834
September18214646
October17951348
November4375120
December672146

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 13.7 km from Franklin. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00444044 (Holland 1 E). Public domain.