Randolph County climate

Randolph County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pocahontas 1, 10.2 km from Randolph County, elevation 315 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pocahontas 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 31 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 214 days.

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

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 10Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 17
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Dec 2
24°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14
20°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23Dec 30
16°FNov 28Dec 3Dec 10Dec 16Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 7Jan 18

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°F214208202197193189185180173
32°F237229224219214210205200190
28°F264256248242238232228223214
24°F286278272266260254249242232
20°F313303296290284278271265255
16°F342332323317309303297288279

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
98% 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
3,954
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,611
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,287
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,859
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,579
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,447
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,456

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January90809
February707022
March5064104
April21827280
May57134543
June2335783
July0451916
August0409874
September22207635
October20241320
November523377
December809016

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 10.2 km from Randolph 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 USC00035820 (Pocahontas 1). Public domain.