Belleview Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ocala. 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 February 25 and the first fall freeze around December 12, a growing season of about 293 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last March 12, first November 27
- Median at 32°F
- last February 25, first December 12
- Median at 28°F
- last February 4, first January 3
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Mar 26 | Mar 21 | Mar 16 | Mar 12 | Mar 7 | Mar 3 | Feb 26 | Feb 18 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 12 | Mar 5 | Mar 1 | Feb 25 | Feb 19 | Feb 11 | Feb 4 | Jan 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 7 | Feb 26 | Feb 17 | Feb 10 | Feb 4 | Jan 31 | Jan 23 | Jan 14 | Jan 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Feb 15 | Feb 7 | Jan 31 | Jan 24 | Jan 17 | Jan 10 | Jan 4 | Dec 26 |
| 20°F | Feb 15 | Feb 6 | Jan 30 | Jan 23 | Jan 18 | Jan 14 | Jan 8 | Jan 5 | Dec 25 |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 |
| 32°F | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 28°F | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 7 |
| 24°F | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 15 |
| 20°F | Dec 20 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 292 | 281 | 272 | 266 | 259 | 254 | 247 | 241 | 233 |
| 32°F | 332 | 318 | 308 | 301 | 293 | 285 | 278 | 268 | 258 |
| 28°F | 365 | 356 | 343 | 334 | 328 | 319 | 311 | 301 | 288 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 355 | 345 | 334 | 319 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 361 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
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
- 99% of years
- 28°F or colder
- 86% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 46% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 11% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 0% 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
- 791
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 3,104
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 11,441
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 9,630
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 7,848
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 6,139
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 4,543
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 243 | 29 | 279 |
| February | 154 | 44 | 319 |
| March | 86 | 96 | 479 |
| April | 20 | 190 | 620 |
| May | 1 | 354 | 818 |
| June | 0 | 471 | 921 |
| July | 0 | 530 | 995 |
| August | 0 | 529 | 994 |
| September | 0 | 447 | 897 |
| October | 11 | 275 | 729 |
| November | 84 | 94 | 463 |
| December | 193 | 45 | 335 |
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 12.2 km from Belleview. 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 USC00086414 (Ocala). Public domain.