Laguna Beach climate

Laguna Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Nw Florida Beaches Intl AP, 17.8 km from Laguna Beach, elevation 57 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Nw Florida Beaches Intl 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 25 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 280 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 14, first November 18
Median at 32°F
last February 25, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last February 7, first December 23

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 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18
32°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 7Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31
28°FMar 9Feb 28Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 18Jan 4
24°FFeb 24Feb 11Feb 3Jan 31Jan 25Jan 18Jan 11Jan 4Dec 27
20°FFeb 10Feb 1Jan 30Jan 22Jan 14Jan 10Jan 4Dec 31Dec 23
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 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 6
32°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 21Jan 2
28°FNov 21Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 23Dec 31Jan 5Jan 11Jan 25
24°FDec 5Dec 15Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 16Jan 26Feb 5
20°FDec 13Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 14Jan 22Jan 31Feb 4
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°F278268261255250244238230222
32°F318304294287280273265258248
28°F356343334326317308300291277
24°F365365365361353342334326313
20°F365365365365365365365357339
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
92% of years
24°F or colder
62% of years
20°F or colder
26% 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
1,408
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,621
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,357
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,583
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,879
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,300
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,864

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January39610162
February26811199
March16338347
April41104513
May3288750
June0456906
July0532997
August0521986
September0417867
October31187622
November17043333
December33616197

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 17.8 km from Laguna Beach. 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 USW00073805 (Nw Florida Beaches Intl AP). Public domain.