Glidden climate

Glidden Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Butternut 3SW, 17.4 km from Glidden, elevation 1570 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Butternut 3SW. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 126 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 3, first September 14
Median at 32°F
last May 22, first September 24
Median at 28°F
last May 7, first October 4

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

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°FAug 30Sep 3Sep 7Sep 10Sep 14Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 27
32°FSep 10Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
28°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Nov 2
20°FOct 11Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
16°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23

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°F12111410810410197928779
32°F145139134130126122117112105
28°F170163158153149145141135128
24°F194187182178173169164158150
20°F216209205200196192188183175
16°F233226221218214210206201194

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
9,385
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
217
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,372
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,481
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,705
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,055
Growing degree days, base 60°F
550

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,69400
February1,43900
March1,22805
April792018
May41510145
June14344356
July6588488
August9154428
September28820218
October677244
November1,07003
December1,48300

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 Glidden. 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 USC00471249 (Butternut 3SW). Public domain.