Elizabeth climate

Elizabeth Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sandyville 9 Ne, 17.3 km from Elizabeth, elevation 668 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sandyville 9 Ne. 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 May 1 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 24

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

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°F163157153148144140136130124
32°F183177172169165161156151144
28°F206200196191186181176171162
24°F229223218214210206202197189
20°F256248243238234229224220213
16°F285276270264259253248242234

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
5,392
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
771
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,533
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,283
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,187
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,238
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,428

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08306
February89008
March751137
April3997148
May16850356
June27151575
July3244707
August6215674
September8090462
October36512174
November678032
December943010

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 17.3 km from Elizabeth. 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 USC00467918 (Sandyville 9 Ne). Public domain.