Cave City climate

Cave City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Evening Shade 1 Nne, 16.5 km from Cave City, elevation 514 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Evening Shade 1 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 April 14 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first October 31

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

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°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Dec 1
20°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 12Nov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 22Dec 31

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°F189182177173169165161156149
32°F209203198194190185180176167
28°F233226221216212207203198191
24°F259250245240235231225219211
20°F287276269263258254248243234
16°F315305299292285278272264255

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
4,263
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,360
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,825
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,434
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,199
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,105
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,158

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January939010
February733022
March540491
April25622247
May83100484
June5276721
July0400865
August1364828
September39164576
October25228269
November561270
December854015

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 16.5 km from Cave City. 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 USC00032366 (Evening Shade 1 Nne). Public domain.