Philippi climate

Philippi Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Belington, 17 km from Philippi, elevation 1769 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Belington. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 23

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 30May 26May 22May 20May 16May 13May 9May 5Apr 30
32°FMay 23May 19May 14May 10May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 15May 8May 3Apr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 7
24°FMay 3Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 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 21Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
24°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
20°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 3
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 21

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°F158152148144140137132127122
32°F179172168163159155151145138
28°F203196190184180175170165157
24°F229221215210206201195189180
20°F256247242237231227222216209
16°F285276268262256251246239229

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
5,680
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
566
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,131
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,902
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,833
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,920
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,157

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09305
February92304
March789030
April4525122
May21333301
June48108510
July8192649
August14164615
September10860405
October4105142
November684037
December941012

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 km from Philippi. 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 USC00460633 (Belington). Public domain.