Waldron climate

Waldron Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waldron, 2.8 km from Waldron, elevation 716 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waldron. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 203 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 5

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

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 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 11
28°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 17Dec 25
16°FNov 21Nov 30Dec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 17

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°F202195190185181177173168161
32°F229220213208203199193188182
28°F251244238233227221216210202
24°F278269263257251245238232223
20°F310298289282277271265258248
16°F343333324314307302294286275

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
3,477
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,732
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,713
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,211
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,859
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,659
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,618

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January802021
February606144
March4317141
April19736308
May52138551
June2329777
July0474939
August0448913
September21238668
October17754357
November4666109
December724132

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 2.8 km from Waldron. 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 USC00037488 (Waldron). Public domain.