Edgewater Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.
A freeze (32°F or colder) happens in only 48 percent of years at New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov, so there is no typical freeze season.
- Median at 36°F
- last February 5, first January 3
- Median at 32°F
- last January 28, first January 9
- Median at 28°F
- last January 14, first January 10
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 | Mar 5 | Feb 27 | Feb 20 | Feb 13 | Feb 5 | Feb 1 | Jan 27 | Jan 14 | Dec 31 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Feb 14 | Feb 4 | Jan 31 | Jan 28 | Jan 17 | Jan 11 | Jan 4 | Dec 26 |
| 28°F | Feb 11 | Feb 1 | Jan 29 | Jan 20 | Jan 14 | Jan 10 | Jan 6 | Jan 1 | Dec 27 |
| 24°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 30 | Feb 11 |
| 32°F | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 18 |
| 28°F | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 |
| 24°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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 | 365 | 358 | 347 | 337 | 329 | 321 | 312 | 303 | 292 |
| 32°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 354 | 345 | 334 | 319 |
| 28°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 349 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 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
- 85% of years
- 32°F or colder
- 48% of years
- 28°F or colder
- 17% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 3% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 0% 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
- 602
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 3,159
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 11,682
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 9,863
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 8,062
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 6,310
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 4,662
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 190 | 36 | 326 |
| February | 140 | 38 | 323 |
| March | 80 | 80 | 467 |
| April | 12 | 192 | 630 |
| May | 0 | 335 | 800 |
| June | 0 | 444 | 894 |
| July | 0 | 513 | 978 |
| August | 0 | 515 | 980 |
| September | 0 | 457 | 908 |
| October | 5 | 319 | 780 |
| November | 38 | 161 | 573 |
| December | 138 | 70 | 404 |
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 5.5 km from Edgewater. 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 USC00087261 (New Smyrna Bch - Marine Discov). Public domain.