McRae climate

McRae Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Searcy, 19.7 km from McRae, elevation 230 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Searcy. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 228 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 27, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 19

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

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

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°F227220214209205202197193186
32°F252243237233228224219213206
28°F276267261256250245241236227
24°F307296288282275270264258249
20°F339329320313306298291281272
16°F365361350341333326319311299

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
84% 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
3,287
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,153
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,299
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,773
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,398
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,172
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,088

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January789125
February599146
March40812160
April15859362
May28217654
June0434883
July05521,017
August0511976
September12288726
October15671390
November4337123
December704135

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 19.7 km from McRae. 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 USC00036506 (Searcy). Public domain.