Buckhannon climate

Buckhannon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buckhannon, 1.8 km from Buckhannon, elevation 1455 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buckhannon. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 31

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 24May 19May 15May 12May 9May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 23
32°FMay 16May 11May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
28°FMay 5Apr 28Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 2
16°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 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°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 25
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 26

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°F172165161157153149145140133
32°F193187182177173168165158150
28°F215209205201197193187182174
24°F242234228223219215211207200
20°F270262257251246241235228222
16°F300292284278271266260253244

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
5,289
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
802
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,625
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,355
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,242
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,281
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,466

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05507
February88108
March738038
April4007150
May16653362
June29155576
July2255718
August5222682
September7498476
October35912178
November663038
December916011

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 1.8 km from Buckhannon. 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 USC00461220 (Buckhannon). Public domain.