Baker County climate

Baker County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Glen St Mary 1 W, 11.6 km from Baker County, elevation 128 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Glen St Mary 1 W. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 272 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 24, first November 17
Median at 32°F
last March 8, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last February 17, first December 21

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 14Apr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9Feb 27
32°FMar 31Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20Feb 6
28°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 2Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Feb 2Jan 25Jan 12
24°FMar 5Feb 23Feb 13Feb 5Jan 31Jan 25Jan 17Jan 9Dec 31
20°FFeb 26Feb 13Feb 2Jan 29Jan 20Jan 15Jan 8Jan 2Dec 27
16°F–––––––––

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 30Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 6
32°FNov 9Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 18Dec 28
28°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 5Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 2Jan 9Jan 20
24°FDec 4Dec 15Dec 25Dec 31Jan 4Jan 10Jan 17Jan 27Feb 9
20°FDec 16Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 20Jan 27Feb 4Feb 17
16°F–––––––––

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°F271261252246239233227220211
32°F309294285278272265257249238
28°F345333324314306299291282270
24°F365365357346338332323311300
20°F365365365365365365358343329
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
96% of years
24°F or colder
75% of years
20°F or colder
39% of years
16°F or colder
6% 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
1,297
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,687
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,530
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,746
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,028
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,424
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,967

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January37015182
February23919225
March15454377
April52127526
May6289749
June0444894
July0527992
August0515980
September0407856
October28202639
November14962372
December30026236

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 11.6 km from Baker County. 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 USC00083470 (Glen St Mary 1 W). Public domain.