Gibson climate

Gibson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Little Rock, 5.8 km from Gibson, elevation 568 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Little Rock. 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 16, a growing season of about 245 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 28, first November 6
Median at 32°F
last March 16, first November 16
Median at 28°F
last March 4, first November 27

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

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°F246238233227222218213208200
32°F269260255249245241235229221
28°F296286279273268262258252241
24°F325315308301294288282274263
20°F353342334327321316309301289
16°F365365359350343335330323311

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
96% of years
16°F or colder
75% 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
3,145
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,008
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,270
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,718
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,311
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,055
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,955

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January758129
February568156
March38513175
April15355364
May33188620
June1389838
July0510975
August0488953
September12279717
October14277408
November4178134
December676143

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 5.8 km from Gibson. 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 USW00003952 (Little Rock). Public domain.