Wadley climate

Wadley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ashland 3 Ene, 27.2 km from Wadley, elevation 1022 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ashland 3 Ene. 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 April 4 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 211 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 23
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 11

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°FMay 4Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 6Mar 31
32°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16
28°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 8Mar 2
24°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 12
20°FMar 16Mar 9Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 21
16°FMar 7Feb 26Feb 14Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 23Jan 15Jan 5

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 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3
32°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
28°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
24°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 21
20°FNov 17Nov 26Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 27Jan 3Jan 14
16°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 21Dec 28Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 20Feb 1

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°F209201196192188183179174167
32°F234227220216211206202197190
28°F263254247242236231225219211
24°F297286279272265259253246236
20°F334321311304296290283275263
16°F365356346336330321311303291

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
87% 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
2,954
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,561
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,914
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,317
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,874
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,594
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,489

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January682042
February521158
March3737172
April16732327
May43136558
June2302750
July0412877
August0386851
September10223663
October14055388
November3996135
December616153

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 27.2 km from Wadley. 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 USC00010369 (Ashland 3 Ene). Public domain.