Munford Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Anniston Metro AP. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 231 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 6, first October 31
- Median at 32°F
- last March 23, first November 9
- Median at 28°F
- last March 8, first November 21
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 16 | Apr 12 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 | Apr 2 | Mar 30 | Mar 25 | Mar 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 4 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 23 | Mar 18 | Mar 15 | Mar 10 | Mar 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Mar 21 | Mar 16 | Mar 13 | Mar 8 | Mar 4 | Feb 28 | Feb 23 | Feb 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 15 | Mar 8 | Mar 3 | Feb 26 | Feb 21 | Feb 16 | Feb 9 | Feb 2 | Jan 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Feb 26 | Feb 16 | Feb 9 | Feb 3 | Jan 30 | Jan 24 | Jan 16 | Jan 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Feb 8 | Feb 2 | Jan 30 | Jan 24 | Jan 19 | Jan 12 | Jan 6 | Dec 26 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 229 | 222 | 216 | 212 | 208 | 203 | 199 | 194 | 187 |
| 32°F | 257 | 248 | 241 | 235 | 231 | 226 | 221 | 216 | 208 |
| 28°F | 289 | 277 | 270 | 263 | 258 | 251 | 246 | 238 | 230 |
| 24°F | 326 | 313 | 304 | 296 | 289 | 283 | 275 | 266 | 257 |
| 20°F | 359 | 344 | 336 | 330 | 321 | 313 | 306 | 298 | 284 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 360 | 349 | 341 | 334 | 328 | 312 |
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
- 100% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 93% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 66% 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
- 2,634
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,971
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 8,596
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 6,962
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 5,472
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 4,135
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 2,967
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 641 | 1 | 56 |
| February | 471 | 2 | 81 |
| March | 314 | 15 | 214 |
| April | 128 | 56 | 383 |
| May | 24 | 195 | 636 |
| June | 0 | 372 | 822 |
| July | 0 | 477 | 942 |
| August | 0 | 462 | 927 |
| September | 7 | 295 | 738 |
| October | 118 | 84 | 437 |
| November | 365 | 11 | 160 |
| December | 567 | 2 | 77 |
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 10.9 km from Munford. 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 USW00013871 (Anniston Metro AP). Public domain.