Albany County climate

Albany County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sybille Rsch Unit, 31.4 km from Albany County, elevation 6086 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sybille Rsch Unit. 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 125 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, 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 18Jun 14Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 30May 27May 22
32°FJun 5Jun 1May 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 12May 8
28°FMay 21May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 25
24°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
20°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31
16°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21Mar 13

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 1Sep 5Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 28
32°FSep 9Sep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7
28°FSep 19Sep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17
24°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
20°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 8
16°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12Nov 19

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°F1191121071039995918679
32°F144138134129125121116110103
28°F168162157153149146141135129
24°F192185178174169165161156148
20°F214205199194190185180175167
16°F238228220214208203197192183

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
7,555
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
298
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,748
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,752
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,916
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,230
Growing degree days, base 60°F
689

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21700
February1,05700
March92705
April696025
May4413124
June15238343
July26134573
August55102513
September23721264
October608163
November93005
December1,20900

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 31.4 km from Albany County. 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 USC00488808 (Sybille Rsch Unit). Public domain.