Lee County climate

Lee County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Auburn No.2, 10.2 km from Lee County, elevation 545 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Auburn No.2. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around November 17, a growing season of about 246 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 29, first November 7
Median at 32°F
last March 13, first November 17
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first December 1

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 16Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 8
32°FApr 3Mar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21
28°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 11Feb 1
24°FMar 10Mar 1Feb 24Feb 18Feb 11Feb 5Jan 31Jan 23Jan 10
20°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 9Feb 3Jan 30Jan 24Jan 16Jan 7Dec 31
16°FFeb 13Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 19Jan 13Jan 8Jan 2Dec 27

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 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21
32°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
28°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 19Dec 29
24°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 18
20°FDec 10Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 3Jan 9Jan 16Jan 23Feb 5
16°FDec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 16Jan 22Jan 30Feb 7

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°F247239234228223219214208202
32°F275266258252246242238231222
28°F310299290283277270263257248
24°F345334326318310302294285273
20°F365365354344337331324315303
16°F365365365365365363351339331

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
80% of years
16°F or colder
46% 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
2,414
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,916
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,718
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,047
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,511
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,134
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,928

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January599064
February425295
March28113231
April11050393
May18196643
June0365814
July0465930
August0445910
September5290735
October10083451
November3356166
December541179

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 10.2 km from Lee 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 USC00010425 (Auburn No.2). Public domain.