Fairlea climate

Fairlea Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lewisburg 3 N, 9.6 km from Fairlea, elevation 2300 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lewisburg 3 N. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 20

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 29May 24May 20May 17May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 27
32°FMay 21May 15May 10May 6May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 9May 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 10Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 8
16°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 1Feb 23

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 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
16°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4Dec 11

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°F159153148144139136132127120
32°F180173167163158154150144138
28°F201194189185181177172165156
24°F226218213210205201197192183
20°F248241236231226222217214208
16°F277268261255249245240234224

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
5,737
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
563
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,077
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,877
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,824
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,917
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,159

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10703
February91604
March780027
April4344125
May19532318
June43112519
July9195651
August15158608
September10857402
October4116139
November728023
December99405

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 9.6 km from Fairlea. 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 USC00465224 (Lewisburg 3 N). Public domain.