Destin climate

Destin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Destin Ft Walton AP, 2.4 km from Destin, elevation 22 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Destin Ft Walton AP. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around December 28, a growing season of about 321 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 24, first December 9
Median at 32°F
last February 5, first December 28
Median at 28°F
last January 27, first January 7

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°FMar 16Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 30
32°FMar 4Feb 25Feb 17Feb 11Feb 5Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 5
28°FFeb 25Feb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 21Jan 15Jan 6Dec 27
24°FFeb 11Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 20Jan 13Jan 8Jan 2Dec 27
20°FFeb 7Feb 1Jan 30Jan 21Jan 16Jan 13Jan 7Jan 3Jan 1
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°FNov 15Nov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 5
32°FDec 1Dec 9Dec 15Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 27
28°FDec 12Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 7Jan 12Jan 19Jan 28Feb 6
24°FDec 20Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 12Jan 17Jan 23Jan 31Feb 6
20°FDec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 11Jan 16Jan 19Jan 26Feb 1Feb 7
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°F323311304296290285279271261
32°F356343334329321314306299289
28°F365365365358350341334325312
24°F365365365365365365362348333
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
99% of years
32°F or colder
93% of years
28°F or colder
67% of years
24°F or colder
33% of years
20°F or colder
10% of years
16°F or colder
1% 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
1,179
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,936
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,893
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,097
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,355
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,720
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,239

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January34611188
February24214215
March13143381
April29123545
May1334798
June0495945
July05751,040
August05641,029
September0463913
October19237684
November12956381
December28321236

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 2.4 km from Destin. 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 USW00053853 (Destin Ft Walton AP). Public domain.