Marshall County climate

Marshall County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moundsville, 9.3 km from Marshall County, elevation 620 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moundsville. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first November 1

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 22May 17May 12May 9May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22
32°FMay 12May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15
28°FMay 1Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
24°FApr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 17
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4
16°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 4Mar 2Feb 27Feb 19

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 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 23Dec 30

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°F175170165161157153149145139
32°F195189185181177173169165157
28°F218212207203200196191186179
24°F245237232228224220216210205
20°F274266259254249244238233226
16°F303294288281275269263256246

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
5,428
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
861
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,600
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,368
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,280
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,333
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,524

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10004
February92305
March765132
April4106140
May16159371
June24170596
July2276739
August5239699
September7299478
October34913178
November666032
December95207

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 9.3 km from Marshall 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 USC00466248 (Moundsville). Public domain.