Newton County climate

Newton County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Deer, 10.4 km from Newton County, elevation 2375 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Deer. 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 April 7 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 211 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 12

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°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
28°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 7
24°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 26
20°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 10
16°FMar 15Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 11Feb 4Jan 24

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 11Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
32°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
28°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30
24°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12
20°FNov 11Nov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 20Dec 29
16°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 13

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°F212205199195190186181176169
32°F233226221216211206202196189
28°F258248242236231227221215206
24°F279269263257252246241234223
20°F307296288281275270263255247
16°F331320312305299292286278266

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
4,590
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,034
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,291
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,932
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,722
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,668
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,768

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96909
February770013
March606172
April32510194
May12951391
June14198634
July1311775
August4312773
September54129527
October27020251
November576171
December874012

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 10.4 km from Newton 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 USC00031900 (Deer). Public domain.