Sutton climate

Sutton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gassaway, 5 km from Sutton, elevation 848 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gassaway. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 185 days.

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

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 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
32°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 16
16°FNov 16Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Dec 31

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°F184179175171166162158153147
32°F204197192188185181177171163
28°F225219214210206202197192186
24°F251243237232228224220215209
20°F280271264258253247242236229
16°F306297291285279273267260252

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
4,949
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
961
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,981
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,685
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,541
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,539
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,679

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03105
February84607
March709040
April35210181
May13268408
June17184617
July1297761
August2261724
September48125527
October30817216
November620045
December885011

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 5 km from Sutton. 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 USC00463361 (Gassaway). Public domain.