Stephens climate

Stephens Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Magnolia, 19.9 km from Stephens, elevation 372 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Magnolia. 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 2, a growing season of about 218 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last March 31, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 14, first November 13

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 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25
32°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 16Mar 9
28°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 23
24°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 12Jan 31
20°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 25Feb 18Feb 11Feb 3Jan 30Jan 23Jan 12
16°FMar 1Feb 16Feb 7Jan 31Jan 28Jan 22Jan 15Jan 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 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 8
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 20
28°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3
24°FNov 5Nov 12Nov 17Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 23
20°FNov 16Nov 26Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 22Dec 31Jan 5Jan 15
16°FDec 3Dec 16Dec 25Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 13Jan 18Feb 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°F219211204199196192186181174
32°F244235228223218214209202196
28°F272262255249244238233226215
24°F306295286279273266259252242
20°F346332323314307301292282269
16°F365365359348340334327317304

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
76% 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
2,848
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,008
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,465
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,875
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,427
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,127
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,985

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January682248
February518369
March34216200
April14452366
May26188628
June0378828
July0495959
August0484948
September10294733
October12981424
November37713162
December620362

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 19.9 km from Stephens. 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 USC00034548 (Magnolia). Public domain.