Fredonia climate

Fredonia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Port Washington, 11.1 km from Fredonia, elevation 594 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Port Washington. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 2

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 25May 20May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 26
32°FMay 14May 8May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9
16°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1

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 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 17
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17

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°F172166161157153148144139133
32°F196189185181176172167162154
28°F222214210206202198193187180
24°F244237232227223220217212205
20°F263257251247243239233229223
16°F280273268263258254250245237

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
7,113
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
467
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,254
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,203
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,305
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,550
Growing degree days, base 60°F
935

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31100
February1,13100
March97205
April654027
May3766141
June11761397
July16174623
August14169620
September12954379
October4542102
November795011
December1,14201

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 11.1 km from Fredonia. 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 USC00476764 (Port Washington). Public domain.