Marion Oaks climate

Marion Oaks Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ocala, 20 km from Marion Oaks, elevation 75 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ocala. 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 12, a growing season of about 293 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 12, first November 27
Median at 32°F
last February 25, first December 12
Median at 28°F
last February 4, first January 3

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 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18
32°FMar 21Mar 12Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 11Feb 4Jan 24
28°FMar 7Feb 26Feb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 23Jan 14Jan 2
24°FFeb 25Feb 15Feb 7Jan 31Jan 24Jan 17Jan 10Jan 4Dec 26
20°FFeb 15Feb 6Jan 30Jan 23Jan 18Jan 14Jan 8Jan 5Dec 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 8Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 24
32°FNov 21Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 28Jan 4Jan 14
28°FDec 3Dec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 3Jan 8Jan 15Jan 27Feb 7
24°FDec 14Dec 22Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 16Jan 24Feb 2Feb 15
20°FDec 20Jan 1Jan 8Jan 13Jan 16Jan 22Jan 30Feb 6Feb 15
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°F292281272266259254247241233
32°F332318308301293285278268258
28°F365356343334328319311301288
24°F365365365365365355345334319
20°F365365365365365365365365361
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
46% of years
20°F or colder
11% 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
791
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,104
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,441
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,630
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,848
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,139
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,543

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January24329279
February15444319
March8696479
April20190620
May1354818
June0471921
July0530995
August0529994
September0447897
October11275729
November8494463
December19345335

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 20 km from Marion Oaks. 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 USC00086414 (Ocala). Public domain.