Fall River climate

Fall River Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beaver Dam Wwtp, 17.4 km from Fall River, elevation 861 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beaver Dam Wwtp. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 20

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 27May 23May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 16May 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8

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 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
28°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 3
24°FOct 16Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23
16°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 3

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°F155149145141138134130126120
32°F178171165162157153149145138
28°F201194189185180176172166160
24°F222216212208204200196191184
20°F243236231227223219216211203
16°F262254249245241237233227221

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
7,738
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
463
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,274
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,264
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,374
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,605
Growing degree days, base 60°F
959

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49600
February1,26000
March1,03409
April628146
May29822225
June64100486
July15169618
August28129566
September17240329
October525387
November91407
December1,30500

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 17.4 km from Fall River. 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 USC00470645 (Beaver Dam Wwtp). Public domain.