Gilchrist County climate

Gilchrist County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bell 4NW, 13.8 km from Gilchrist County, elevation 30 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bell 4NW. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around November 22, a growing season of about 254 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 27, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 14, first November 22
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first December 6

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 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12Mar 4
32°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 18
28°FMar 22Mar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 3Jan 23
24°FMar 12Mar 2Feb 25Feb 17Feb 9Feb 1Jan 27Jan 14Dec 31
20°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 10Feb 3Jan 30Jan 21Jan 10Jan 1Dec 23
16°FFeb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 27Jan 16Jan 8Jan 3Dec 26

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

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°F260250243237231226219214207
32°F290276268262254249243237226
28°F322308299292285276269260251
24°F363347334327317308301293279
20°F365365365365357347335326312
16°F365365365365365365365364343

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
89% of years
20°F or colder
56% of years
16°F or colder
20% 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
1,449
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,443
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,140
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,368
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,674
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,106
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,683

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January40011160
February27317199
March16540352
April56101496
May6274733
June0427877
July0474939
August0476941
September1386835
October42176599
November17441329
December33320213

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 13.8 km from Gilchrist 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 USC00080598 (Bell 4NW). Public domain.