Gadsden County climate

Gadsden County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Quincy 3 Ssw, 4.5 km from Gadsden County, elevation 245 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Quincy 3 Ssw. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around November 22, a growing season of about 256 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 27, first November 10
Median at 32°F
last March 13, first November 22
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first December 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 6
32°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 20
28°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Jan 30
24°FMar 8Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16Feb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 20Jan 4
20°FFeb 24Feb 15Feb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 16Jan 7Dec 29
16°FFeb 17Feb 7Feb 2Jan 31Jan 26Jan 21Jan 13Jan 7Dec 31

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 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Dec 1
32°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7Dec 17
28°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 29Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18Dec 27Jan 2Jan 11
24°FDec 1Dec 9Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 22Feb 2
20°FDec 12Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 18Jan 25Feb 1Feb 8
16°FDec 27Jan 3Jan 9Jan 15Jan 21Jan 26Jan 31Feb 4Feb 11

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°F259249241236230224219213206
32°F287276268262256249243236226
28°F327311303296289282273264253
24°F365347336330322315307301287
20°F365365365365355345335328316
16°F365365365365365365365354335

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
100% of years
24°F or colder
88% of years
20°F or colder
56% of years
16°F or colder
22% 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
1,600
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,495
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,049
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,286
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,608
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,063
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,688

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4168147
February3189162
March20636313
April68100483
May8293750
June0432882
July0510975
August0501966
September1380829
October37174602
November19241312
December35312187

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 4.5 km from Gadsden 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 USC00087429 (Quincy 3 Ssw). Public domain.