Rowlesburg climate

Rowlesburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rowlesburg 1, 0.7 km from Rowlesburg, elevation 1423 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rowlesburg 1. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 14, 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 23May 18May 14May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 15May 9May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
28°FMay 3Apr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 15
20°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7Mar 1
16°FMar 30Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 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°FOct 2Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 29
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 28

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°F178172167162158154150145138
32°F197191187183179175171166159
28°F220213207204200196191185176
24°F246239232227222218213208200
20°F271262255250246241236230223
16°F298288281275269264258253243

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
5,571
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
666
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,315
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,086
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,004
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,074
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,292

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10803
February91404
March774030
April4304129
May19142327
June37124537
July4213674
August7195652
September8380448
October3748161
November686030
December96407

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 Rowlesburg. 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 USC00467785 (Rowlesburg 1). Public domain.