Gillett climate

Gillett Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Arkansas Post, 10.6 km from Gillett, elevation 194 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Arkansas Post. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around November 18, a growing season of about 251 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 23, first November 7
Median at 32°F
last March 10, first November 18
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first December 2

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

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°F255246240234229224219213205
32°F280271263257251247242236228
28°F309299292285278272266260252
24°F342332325318312305298289276
20°F365365357348340334328318306
16°F365365365365365365357347334

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
78% of years
16°F or colder
44% 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
2,663
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,151
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,778
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,159
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,675
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,343
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,164

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January673043
February487380
March31018221
April10771419
May15223673
June0413862
July0516981
August0488953
September7310753
October10897459
November35611171
December599161

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 Gillett. 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 USC00030240 (Arkansas Post). Public domain.