Covington County climate

Covington County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Andalusia 3 W, 9.4 km from Covington County, elevation 250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Andalusia 3 W. 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 March 25 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 230 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 6, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 7, first November 22

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°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 18
32°FApr 14Apr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 7Feb 28
28°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 18Feb 6
24°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 12Feb 3Jan 28Jan 16
20°FMar 4Feb 24Feb 15Feb 7Jan 31Jan 26Jan 18Jan 6Dec 27
16°FFeb 22Feb 8Feb 1Jan 25Jan 19Jan 12Jan 5Dec 31Dec 21

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°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15
32°FOct 25Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22Dec 1
28°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 15
24°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 14Dec 24Jan 1Jan 9
20°FNov 24Dec 4Dec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 18Feb 2
16°FDec 7Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 16Jan 26Feb 9

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°F232223217212207203199193185
32°F261252244236230225219213204
28°F295282272265259253247240231
24°F337322310303293286275267257
20°F365359348338332323314306290
16°F365365365365364353343334322

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
84% of years
16°F or colder
53% 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
2,135
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,137
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,187
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,474
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,889
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,465
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,209

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January534389
February3867118
March25126267
April10370420
May15221671
June0399849
July0477942
August0468933
September2332780
October80111498
November29518208
December4685114

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 9.4 km from Covington 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 USC00010252 (Andalusia 3 W). Public domain.