Goulding climate

Goulding Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pensacola Rgnl AP, 5.2 km from Goulding, elevation 112 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pensacola Rgnl 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 14 and the first fall freeze around December 9, a growing season of about 301 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 2, first November 25
Median at 32°F
last February 14, first December 9
Median at 28°F
last January 31, first January 1

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 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 16Feb 8
32°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 21
28°FFeb 28Feb 20Feb 10Feb 3Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 12Jan 2
24°FFeb 11Feb 1Jan 29Jan 25Jan 19Jan 15Jan 9Jan 3Dec 28
20°FFeb 2Jan 30Jan 26Jan 19Jan 15Jan 12Jan 9Jan 5Dec 29
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 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 18
32°FNov 17Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 27Jan 2Jan 10
28°FDec 2Dec 10Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 17Jan 31
24°FDec 16Dec 27Jan 1Jan 3Jan 8Jan 12Jan 18Jan 25Feb 2
20°FDec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 13Jan 16Jan 22Jan 28Feb 1
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°F300289282277270264258252243
32°F336325317307301293286277266
28°F365355347339334328320309299
24°F365365365365364355347336328
20°F365365365365365365365365352
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
100% of years
32°F or colder
99% of years
28°F or colder
86% of years
24°F or colder
54% of years
20°F or colder
18% of years
16°F or colder
3% 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
1,304
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,944
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,782
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,999
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,282
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,677
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,225

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January37711173
February24819220
March13957390
April35134549
May1342806
June0502952
July05721,037
August05581,023
September0450900
October27224662
November16254352
December31520217

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 5.2 km from Goulding. 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 USW00013899 (Pensacola Rgnl AP). Public domain.