Wetzel County climate

Wetzel County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mannington 8 Wnw, 16.4 km from Wetzel County, elevation 1100 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mannington 8 Wnw. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 22

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 31May 27May 22May 19May 15May 12May 8May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 22May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 12May 4Apr 29Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26

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 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 26
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 14Oct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
20°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Dec 2
16°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9Dec 18

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°F161154148144139135130124116
32°F180174169163159155149143135
28°F202195190186182177172166157
24°F228222216211208203199194187
20°F255245240236231227223217211
16°F285275267260256250244239230

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
5,739
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
667
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,228
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,019
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,960
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,048
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,278

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,13103
February94604
March783030
April4265130
May18644332
June39132543
July5224684
August11188642
September10468417
October4047142
November717026
December98606

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 16.4 km from Wetzel County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00465626 (Mannington 8 Wnw). Public domain.