Prairie County climate

Prairie County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Des Arc, 17.1 km from Prairie County, elevation 200 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Des Arc. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around November 14, a growing season of about 247 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 27, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 11, first November 14
Median at 28°F
last March 2, first November 26

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 15Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12Mar 7
32°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23
28°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 9
24°FMar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 22
20°FMar 1Feb 21Feb 13Feb 6Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 14Jan 4
16°FFeb 22Feb 10Feb 3Jan 30Jan 25Jan 20Jan 14Jan 6Dec 29

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 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19
32°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
28°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 10Dec 19
24°FNov 17Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24Dec 31Jan 7
20°FDec 1Dec 11Dec 21Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 14Jan 27
16°FDec 14Dec 24Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 12Jan 17Jan 26Feb 2

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°F246238232228224219214209202
32°F271264258252247242235229221
28°F298288280274269262257251242
24°F333321310303297291284275263
20°F364351341334328321312304292
16°F365365365362353344337330316

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
92% of years
16°F or colder
63% 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
3,037
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,232
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,580
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,023
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,606
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,332
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,205

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January752132
February562260
March36715189
April13572396
May23231673
June0443892
July05491,014
August0516981
September10302742
October13189431
November39612151
December661145

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 17.1 km from Prairie 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 USC00031968 (Des Arc). Public domain.