Buffalo climate

Buffalo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Buffalo, 0.7 km from Buffalo, elevation 4639 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Buffalo. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around September 21, a growing season of about 118 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 6, first September 11
Median at 32°F
last May 24, first September 21
Median at 28°F
last May 12, first September 30

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 22Jun 17Jun 13Jun 9Jun 6Jun 3May 31May 28May 23
32°FJun 9Jun 3May 31May 28May 24May 22May 19May 16May 12
28°FMay 28May 22May 18May 15May 12May 8May 6May 2Apr 28
24°FMay 15May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19Apr 15
20°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
16°FApr 26Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 26Mar 18

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 27Sep 2Sep 5Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 24
32°FSep 7Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 3
28°FSep 16Sep 20Sep 24Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 14
24°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24
20°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 3
16°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13

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°F117109104999591878274
32°F13913212712211811411010597
28°F160153149144140136132126120
24°F182174169165161157153148141
20°F204196190185181177172167160
16°F225217211206201196192186180

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
8,140
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
292
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,510
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,570
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,787
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,148
Growing degree days, base 60°F
646

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29100
February1,14200
March98603
April735020
May4773107
June19529297
July41132556
August66107508
September27022244
October670148
November98604
December1,28200

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 0.7 km from Buffalo. 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 USC00481165 (Buffalo). Public domain.