Glossary

Climate normals
30-year averages of monthly temperature and precipitation. NOAA publishes new normals every decade; this site uses the 1991-2020 normals.
Average high (tmax)
The average daily maximum temperature for a given month, measured in degrees Fahrenheit.
Average low (tmin)
The average daily minimum temperature for a given month, measured in degrees Fahrenheit.
Average temperature (tavg)
The mean of the daily high and low temperatures for a month — roughly what "typical" weather feels like.
Precipitation
Total rainfall plus the water equivalent of snow, reported in inches.
Last spring frost
The average calendar date of the final overnight low at or below 32°F in spring. Gardeners use this to time the planting of tender annuals and warm-season vegetables.
First fall frost
The average date of the first overnight low at or below 32°F in autumn — the traditional end of the growing season.
Growing season
The number of days between the average last spring frost and average first fall frost.
p10 / p50 / p90
Probability thresholds. For frost dates: p10 is the 10th percentile (early), p50 the median (average), p90 the 90th percentile (late). There's a 10% chance of frost after the p10 spring date, 50% after p50, and 90% after p90.
GHCN / GHCN-Daily
Global Historical Climatology Network — NOAA's primary source of daily temperature and precipitation observations worldwide.
Station
An official weather observation site, usually at an airport or dedicated meteorological facility, that feeds data into the GHCN.