Ragland climate

Ragland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Talladega 10 Nne, 21.3 km from Ragland, elevation 525 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Talladega 10 Nne. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 225 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 8, first November 15

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 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29Mar 22
32°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 2
28°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 15
24°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7Jan 29
20°FMar 7Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 21Jan 7
16°FFeb 26Feb 13Feb 5Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 17Jan 8Dec 30

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 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
32°FOct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
28°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 3
24°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11Dec 21Jan 1
20°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 7Dec 16Dec 25Dec 31Jan 4Jan 11Jan 25
16°FDec 8Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 7Jan 13Jan 18Jan 26Feb 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F224216210206201197191187180
32°F252241235229225220215209202
28°F280270263257252247241235228
24°F315303295287280274268260250
20°F351335328320313306300290279
16°F365365361351343336330323309

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
95% of years
16°F or colder
71% 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
2,808
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,840
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,323
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,718
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,244
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,936
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,801

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January667156
February492278
March33512194
April14442351
May37172600
June0360810
July0465930
August0439904
September8272714
October13070411
November4077124
December590172

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 21.3 km from Ragland. 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 USW00073803 (Talladega 10 Nne). Public domain.