First Frost for All

Arctic air moved through the region late last week and over the weekend, sending temperatures plummeting. Overnight lows dropped into the teens and 20s, setting 30 daily record lows at the major climate sites.

The coldest low temperatures from November 10-12 ranged from less than 10°F to 30°F for most of the region.

As of November 6, 21 major climate sites were still waiting for their first frost. Six sites had their first frost on November 7 or 9, and the remaining 15 sites had theirs on November 10. For all but five sites, this year’s first frost was past due by anywhere from a day to more than 3 weeks. For Dulles Airport, VA, it was the second latest first frost on record (since 1963). One more day and it would have tied 2005 as the latest first frost. In addition, three New York sites (Binghamton, Rochester, and Syracuse) had their first measurable and/or inch of snow on November 10.

All the major climate sites have had their first frost. Red indicates the frost was later than usual, while green indicates it was earlier than usual.