Growing season length is another critical parameter for vineyard site selection. Jordan et al. (1980) classifies sites as Unsuitable (< 165 days), Marginal (166 - 180 days), Preferable (> 180 days). They defined growing season as the number of consecutive days where the minimum temperatures is above 29oF. For this study it was defined as the numbers of days between the last occurrence of 29oF or less in spring and the first occurrence in fall. In most of the state the growing season is too short for viticulture, whilst even in the more recognized viticulture regions the length must still be classed as marginal. The mean may be expected to vary by about 25 days, so that in many seasons the growing season will be especially short.
The number of frost free days is lowest (<159 days) in the higher elevations in the southern end of the county. The Western shore of Lake Cayuga has highest number of days (172 to 176days). The western shore of Lake Seneca has almost a week less frost free days as does the remainder of the county. The standard deviation on the mean length of frost free days is approximately 25 days and varies little across the state except at higher elevations.
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