Dixie County climate

Dixie County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cross City 1 E, 9.8 km from Dixie County, elevation 42 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cross City 1 E. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 26, a growing season of about 263 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 25, first November 14
Median at 32°F
last March 6, first November 26
Median at 28°F
last February 18, first December 12

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 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9Mar 1
32°FMar 31Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 10
28°FMar 14Mar 6Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 21
24°FFeb 28Feb 18Feb 11Feb 5Jan 31Jan 29Jan 22Jan 11Dec 31
20°FFeb 14Feb 6Feb 2Jan 30Jan 23Jan 15Jan 8Jan 3Dec 27
16°FFeb 10Feb 4Feb 1Jan 27Jan 23Jan 14Jan 9Jan 6Jan 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 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 3
32°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 21
28°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 21Dec 29Jan 4Jan 16
24°FDec 1Dec 9Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 8Jan 16Jan 24Feb 3
20°FDec 15Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Jan 30Feb 5
16°FJan 1Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 14Jan 24Jan 30Feb 2Feb 8

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°F265256249243236230225218209
32°F297285277270263258251244235
28°F334321311303296289281274261
24°F365356345337330322313305293
20°F365365365365364355344333322
16°F365365365365365365365365351

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
84% of years
20°F or colder
43% of years
16°F or colder
13% 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
1,373
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,567
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,340
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,566
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,861
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,269
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,826

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January3909167
February25915212
March15745363
April52107505
May6285744
June0426876
July0499964
August0502967
September0405855
October30202638
November17053346
December30819226

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 9.8 km from Dixie 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 USC00082008 (Cross City 1 E). Public domain.