Lakewood Park Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Pierce St Lucie CO Intl AP. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.
A freeze (32°F or colder) happens in only 49 percent of years at Ft Pierce St Lucie CO Intl AP, so there is no typical freeze season.
- Median at 36°F
- last February 3, first January 6
- Median at 32°F
- last January 24, first January 14
- Median at 28°F
- last January 18, first January 14
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Feb 27 | Feb 17 | Feb 9 | Feb 3 | Jan 29 | Jan 23 | Jan 17 | Jan 6 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 7 | Jan 31 | Jan 28 | Jan 24 | Jan 19 | Jan 14 | Jan 8 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Jan 29 | Jan 25 | Jan 22 | Jan 18 | Jan 13 | Jan 9 | Jan 6 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Dec 6 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
| 32°F | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 13 |
| 28°F | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 |
| 24°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 365 | 354 | 344 | 334 | 329 | 321 | 312 | 305 | 293 |
| 32°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 357 | 346 | 336 | 325 |
| 28°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 352 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
How often it gets that cold
The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.
- 36°F or colder
- 87% of years
- 32°F or colder
- 49% of years
- 28°F or colder
- 17% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 3% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 0% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 0% 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
- 418
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 3,391
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 12,099
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 10,277
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 8,465
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 6,685
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 4,977
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 145 | 62 | 391 |
| February | 86 | 81 | 416 |
| March | 52 | 126 | 540 |
| April | 12 | 207 | 645 |
| May | 0 | 347 | 812 |
| June | 0 | 447 | 897 |
| July | 0 | 510 | 975 |
| August | 0 | 513 | 978 |
| September | 0 | 461 | 911 |
| October | 4 | 355 | 817 |
| November | 26 | 173 | 597 |
| December | 92 | 109 | 487 |
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 5.6 km from Lakewood Park. 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 USW00012895 (Ft Pierce St Lucie CO Intl AP). Public domain.