Homosassa climate

Homosassa Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Inverness 3 Se, 29.5 km from Homosassa, elevation 58 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Inverness 3 Se. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around December 5, a growing season of about 279 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 19, first November 22
Median at 32°F
last March 3, first December 5
Median at 28°F
last February 11, first December 29

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 11Apr 4Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 8Mar 2Feb 22
32°FMar 29Mar 21Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12Jan 31
28°FMar 15Mar 3Feb 26Feb 19Feb 11Feb 3Jan 29Jan 20Jan 8
24°FMar 2Feb 19Feb 8Feb 1Jan 28Jan 21Jan 14Jan 8Dec 31
20°FFeb 9Jan 31Jan 25Jan 20Jan 14Jan 9Jan 5Dec 31Dec 25
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 3Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 15
32°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18Dec 28Jan 6
28°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 11Dec 20Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 16Jan 30
24°FDec 5Dec 17Dec 28Jan 1Jan 7Jan 12Jan 18Jan 30Feb 10
20°FDec 15Dec 26Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 14Jan 20Jan 27Feb 6
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°F283272264257250243238230220
32°F317304294287279272264256246
28°F353339330322314306298287276
24°F365365365356347339331319305
20°F365365365365365365365356339
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
95% of years
24°F or colder
68% of years
20°F or colder
27% of years
16°F or colder
4% 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
1,014
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,772
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,892
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,093
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,343
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,681
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,141

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January30322232
February20132272
March12466414
April38142554
May3308770
June0439889
July0488953
August0488953
September0417867
October18249696
November10281434
December22439308

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 29.5 km from Homosassa. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00084289 (Inverness 3 Se). Public domain.