Mexico Beach climate

Mexico Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wewahitchka, 28.2 km from Mexico Beach, elevation 42 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wewahitchka. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 29, a growing season of about 271 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 15, first November 15
Median at 32°F
last March 1, first November 29
Median at 28°F
last February 15, first December 15

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 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 23
32°FMar 20Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 4
28°FMar 10Mar 2Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 7Feb 2Jan 27Jan 13
24°FFeb 26Feb 14Feb 4Jan 31Jan 28Jan 21Jan 14Jan 7Dec 28
20°FFeb 10Feb 2Jan 28Jan 22Jan 15Jan 12Jan 8Jan 2Dec 24
16°FJan 31Jan 24Jan 19Jan 16Jan 13Jan 11Jan 8Jan 6Jan 2

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°FOct 29Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3
32°FNov 7Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 29
28°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 24Jan 1Jan 7Jan 18
24°FDec 1Dec 10Dec 22Dec 30Jan 3Jan 7Jan 13Jan 22Feb 2
20°FDec 14Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 12Jan 16Jan 23Feb 1
16°FJan 1Jan 4Jan 7Jan 9Jan 11Jan 14Jan 17Jan 23Jan 30

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°F272262255249244239234227219
32°F306294286277271265259252244
28°F340329318310303295288279267
24°F365365356346338332324313304
20°F365365365365365365355343332
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
97% of years
24°F or colder
77% of years
20°F or colder
39% of years
16°F or colder
11% 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
1,568
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,358
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,939
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,173
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,493
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,946
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,562

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4277140
February29311179
March17536338
April5995487
May6271730
June0413862
July0482947
August0476941
September1361810
October44159581
November20638298
December35812180

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 28.2 km from Mexico 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 USC00089566 (Wewahitchka). Public domain.