Craigsville climate

Craigsville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Richwood 1SSE, 18.1 km from Craigsville, elevation 3090 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Richwood 1SSE. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 29

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 27May 21May 16May 12May 8May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 17May 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
28°FMay 7Apr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19
20°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 7
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 24

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

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°F172165159154150146140135127
32°F194185181176171167161155147
28°F218208204199194190184179170
24°F240233226221218213208202193
20°F265255248244238233227222214
16°F289278271266260255249243232

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
5,873
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
395
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,920
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,707
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,635
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,718
Growing degree days, base 60°F
959

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,12405
February94805
March814035
April4666129
May23225281
June7169449
July18134581
August25110550
September11944380
October3907166
November692142
December975011

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 18.1 km from Craigsville. 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 USC00467513 (Richwood 1SSE). Public domain.