Conway climate

Conway Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Conway, 4.7 km from Conway, elevation 312 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Conway. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 215 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 13, first October 23
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 17, 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°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 28
32°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 13
28°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27
24°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13
20°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 4Jan 29
16°FMar 3Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 28Jan 20Jan 10

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 9Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 5
32°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29
24°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
20°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18Dec 24Jan 1
16°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 14Dec 21Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 13Jan 22

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°F212205200196192189184179172
32°F237230224219215211206201194
28°F263255249244239234229222215
24°F287280273268263259253246238
20°F319308302294288282276269260
16°F348337330324317310306297285

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
96% 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
3,569
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,796
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,726
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,242
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,909
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,726
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,686

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January836018
February637035
March4417134
April19435308
May44151573
June1352801
July0485950
August0462927
September17245678
October17554358
November4745103
December750026

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 4.7 km from Conway. 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 USC00031596 (Conway). Public domain.