Benton climate

Benton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Benton, 1.3 km from Benton, elevation 310 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Benton. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around November 7, a growing season of about 229 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 24, first November 7
Median at 28°F
last March 9, first November 18

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 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
32°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 1Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 3
28°FMar 29Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19
24°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Jan 30
20°FMar 6Feb 27Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 20Jan 8
16°FFeb 23Feb 11Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 20Jan 15Jan 6Dec 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 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 12
32°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
24°FNov 9Nov 17Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 29
20°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 17
16°FDec 6Dec 16Dec 25Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 16Feb 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°F227219214210205201195189180
32°F254246239234229224219212203
28°F282272266261254249243236227
24°F313303295288281275268261249
20°F352338330322314307301292279
16°F365365361353344337331320307

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
76% 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
2,994
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,150
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,499
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,924
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,499
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,228
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,110

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January728130
February543259
March36813179
April14258374
May28201639
June1414864
July05461,011
August0518983
September10302742
October13084426
November3939145
December653248

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 1.3 km from Benton. 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 USC00030582 (Benton). Public domain.