Doddridge County climate

Doddridge County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for W Union 2, 5.8 km from Doddridge County, elevation 806 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for W Union 2. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 30

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 18May 14May 10May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 16May 9May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 14
28°FMay 5Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
24°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
16°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24Feb 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 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 10
16°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15Dec 21Dec 27

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°F174168163160156152148143137
32°F193187182179176171166161153
28°F215210205201198194189183174
24°F242234229225221216212208201
20°F272263256251247242238231223
16°F299292285278273268262255246

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
5,222
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
858
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,708
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,440
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,326
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,356
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,534

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05905
February88507
March731140
April3838156
May15759375
June26165590
July3265727
August5237697
September67108492
October34014191
November653038
December91509

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 5.8 km from Doddridge County. 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 USC00469458 (W Union 2). Public domain.