Hale County climate

Hale County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Greensboro 2 Wnw, 5.2 km from Hale County, elevation 280 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Greensboro 2 Wnw. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around November 11, a growing season of about 240 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 3, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 17, first November 11
Median at 28°F
last March 1, first November 25

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 20Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 14
32°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 1Feb 23
28°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13Feb 3
24°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 28Jan 16
20°FFeb 28Feb 18Feb 9Feb 3Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 12Jan 4
16°FFeb 15Feb 4Jan 31Jan 28Jan 24Jan 18Jan 13Jan 8Jan 1

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 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 18
32°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26Dec 3
28°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 24
24°FNov 17Nov 26Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14Dec 23Jan 1Jan 6Jan 15
20°FDec 4Dec 15Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 14Jan 20Feb 1
16°FDec 23Jan 1Jan 5Jan 8Jan 12Jan 16Jan 21Jan 28Feb 4

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°F240231224219213208204200192
32°F270260252247240235230222213
28°F306295284277271264257251242
24°F337327318310303296286277264
20°F365358348340334328320311300
16°F365365365365365355345336327

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
84% of years
16°F or colder
52% 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
2,376
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,089
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,951
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,290
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,754
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,360
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,135

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January596280
February4266115
March27622248
April10963407
May21215659
June0379829
July0491956
August0480945
September4314760
October10297463
November32914184
December5146107

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 5.2 km from Hale County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00063893 (Greensboro 2 Wnw). Public domain.