Crittenden County climate

Crittenden County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for West Memphis Muni AP, 10.6 km from Crittenden County, elevation 214 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for West Memphis Muni AP. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around November 11, a growing season of about 242 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 29, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 16, first November 11
Median at 28°F
last March 2, first November 24

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 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9
32°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28
28°FMar 22Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 10
24°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 22
20°FFeb 28Feb 19Feb 11Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 12Jan 3
16°FFeb 18Feb 6Jan 31Jan 28Jan 23Jan 18Jan 14Jan 8Dec 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°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
32°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Dec 1
28°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8Dec 17
24°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 8
20°FDec 2Dec 12Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 20Jan 31
16°FDec 20Dec 30Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 14Jan 19Jan 25Feb 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°F240233227222217214209204198
32°F265257251246242237232225217
28°F298287280273267261255249240
24°F332321312305299292284274262
20°F365354344335330323316307298
16°F365365365365359351342334321

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
90% of years
16°F or colder
55% 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
3,004
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,173
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,540
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,980
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,557
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,274
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,147

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January738037
February559263
March37413178
April13569392
May22232674
June0427877
July0521986
August0502967
September8309751
October12888430
November3969147
December644154

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 10.6 km from Crittenden County. 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 USW00053959 (West Memphis Muni AP). Public domain.