Cambria climate

Cambria Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dalton, 14.8 km from Cambria, elevation 860 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dalton. 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 2, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 14

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°FJun 1May 27May 24May 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 3
32°FMay 22May 17May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
28°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1
20°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
16°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12

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 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29
24°FOct 10Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 9
20°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 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°F150143138134131127123118112
32°F169162157153150146142137129
28°F193186180175171167162157151
24°F215208202199195191187182174
20°F235228223219215212207202196
16°F255248241237233229225220214

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
7,303
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
639
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,676
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,624
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,686
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,869
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,183

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,45000
February1,22700
March981011
April567368
May24833272
June48142544
July9221677
August19173620
September14960369
October4796114
November868010
December1,25701

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 14.8 km from Cambria. 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 USC00471970 (Dalton). Public domain.