Marlinton climate

Marlinton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Marlinton, 0.7 km from Marlinton, elevation 2150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Marlinton. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 6, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 22, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 6
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 15

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°FJun 7Jun 1May 29May 26May 22May 19May 15May 11May 6
32°FMay 28May 22May 19May 15May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 18May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18
24°FMay 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
20°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 23
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11

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 14Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 10
32°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
28°FOct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27
24°FOct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
20°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29

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°F147139135131127123118112103
32°F166160155151148144139134126
28°F184177173170166163159153146
24°F205199193189186182178173167
20°F228222217213208205201197190
16°F254246240235230226222217212

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
6,701
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
248
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,144
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,049
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,103
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,312
Growing degree days, base 60°F
677

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20101
February99701
March887010
April551163
May3009208
June9743397
July3699529
August4473494
September16822311
October508181
November81908
December1,09401

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 0.7 km from Marlinton. 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 USC00465672 (Marlinton). Public domain.