Piney climate

Piney Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hot Springs 1 Nne, 7.2 km from Piney, elevation 626 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hot Springs 1 Nne. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around November 13, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 19, first November 13
Median at 28°F
last March 6, 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 19Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 14
32°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1
28°FMar 26Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13
24°FMar 11Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3Jan 26
20°FMar 3Feb 24Feb 17Feb 10Feb 3Jan 31Jan 25Jan 18Jan 6
16°FFeb 19Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 20Jan 14Jan 7Dec 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 19Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
32°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3
28°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 18
24°FNov 17Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23Dec 30Jan 7
20°FDec 2Dec 12Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 16Jan 29
16°FDec 14Dec 24Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 12Jan 17Jan 25Feb 4

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°F239230225221215211206200192
32°F265256249244239233228222213
28°F292282277271266260254246236
24°F325315306300294288281273264
20°F358346337330323317307301291
16°F365365365356350341334325314

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
94% of years
16°F or colder
70% 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
2,983
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,147
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,510
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,932
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,504
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,228
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,108

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January718132
February545259
March36613185
April14358374
May28195633
June1401850
July05461,011
August0527992
September10311751
October13386426
November3908146
December650145

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 7.2 km from Piney. 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 USC00033466 (Hot Springs 1 Nne). Public domain.