Independence County climate

Independence County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Batesville L&d 1, 6.5 km from Independence County, elevation 290 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Batesville L&d 1. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 221 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 16, first November 17

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 27Apr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26
32°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11
28°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28
24°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 11
20°FMar 12Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9Feb 2Jan 27
16°FMar 2Feb 23Feb 16Feb 9Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 18Jan 8

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 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6
32°FOct 22Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 22
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5
24°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 11Dec 20
20°FNov 23Nov 30Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 21Dec 26Jan 1Jan 9
16°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 18Jan 30

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°F220212207202198194190185177
32°F245236230225221217213207200
28°F270261255249245240235229221
24°F296287280275269264257250243
20°F327315308302296290283275266
16°F359345337331324317311304295

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
93% 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
3,674
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,720
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,566
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,092
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,774
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,610
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,589

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January836018
February663028
March4864109
April20334300
May50149565
June2345793
July0470935
August0434899
September20227657
October18552346
November4765102
December753025

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 6.5 km from Independence County. 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 USC00030460 (Batesville L&d 1). Public domain.