Blades climate

Blades Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Greenwood 2NE, 20.2 km from Blades, elevation 45 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Greenwood 2NE. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 11

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

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 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
28°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29
24°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13
20°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 31
16°FDec 3Dec 9Dec 17Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 4Jan 13Jan 21

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°F195188184179175170166162154
32°F222216209205200196191186177
28°F250243237231227223219213206
24°F277269262257253247243237229
20°F304297291286280274268261252
16°F332322314308304299295288279

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
99% 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
4,592
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,135
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,291
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,943
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,757
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,729
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,855

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January94509
February81208
March670141
April35613164
May14065393
June19225655
July0363828
August1306770
September39141552
October26220245
November534275
December814016

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 20.2 km from Blades. 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 USC00073595 (Greenwood 2NE). Public domain.