Stoddard climate

Stoddard Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Genoa Dam 8, 10.2 km from Stoddard, elevation 639 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Genoa Dam 8. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first October 28

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 15May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6
28°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10
16°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3

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 23Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 21
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
28°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21
20°FNov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 30
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10

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°F175169164160157153150145139
32°F199192187182178174171165159
28°F218212207203200196192187180
24°F238231226222219215211206199
20°F256250245241236232228224217
16°F271265260255251247243238231

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
6,814
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
835
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,149
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,054
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,071
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,199
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,450

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,42300
February1,17000
March914118
April491598
May18949337
June26182606
July3280742
August8223680
September10885431
October4279141
November824017
December1,23201

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 10.2 km from Stoddard. 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 USC00473038 (Genoa Dam 8). Public domain.