Oakhurst climate

Oakhurst Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for N Fk RS, 16.2 km from Oakhurst, elevation 2645 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for N Fk RS. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 192 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first November 20

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

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 1Oct 6Oct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6
32°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
28°FOct 30Nov 5Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6
24°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 28
20°FNov 29Dec 5Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8Jan 26
16°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 19Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 6Jan 15Jan 29

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°F185176169163159153147139131
32°F216208203197192187181173163
28°F261248241234227220214208198
24°F318306295286278270261252242
20°F365356346337329319311299287
16°F365365365365365365357349334

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
91% of years
16°F or colder
47% 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
3,504
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,150
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,855
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,254
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,875
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,760
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,867

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January648018
February545024
March498067
April3762131
May17543344
June42160569
July2360823
August2344808
September24198624
October17543343
November427195
December592030

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 16.2 km from Oakhurst. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00046252 (N Fk RS). Public domain.