Paxton climate

Paxton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Florala Muni AP, 6.7 km from Paxton, elevation 314 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Florala Muni 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 March 4 and the first fall freeze around November 26, a growing season of about 265 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 19, first November 11
Median at 32°F
last March 4, first November 26
Median at 28°F
last February 15, first December 13

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 7Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9Mar 3Feb 24
32°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 6
28°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 1Feb 23Feb 15Feb 8Feb 3Jan 27Jan 18
24°FMar 1Feb 18Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 22Jan 15Jan 5Dec 27
20°FFeb 17Feb 5Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 12Jan 5Dec 31Dec 22
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°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
32°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 25
28°FNov 17Nov 25Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13Dec 24Jan 1Jan 8Jan 19
24°FDec 1Dec 10Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 15Jan 21Feb 3
20°FDec 14Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 21Jan 30Feb 8
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°F268257249244238234228222213
32°F299287279272265260254247239
28°F336324316307299292286275263
24°F365365352343335328316306292
20°F365365365365365363351339325
16°F365365365365365365365365362

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
81% of years
20°F or colder
39% of years
16°F or colder
8% 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
1,599
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,591
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,144
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,390
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,728
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,190
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,798

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January43411150
February29913183
March17347350
April49110511
May4303764
June0454904
July0530995
August0528993
September1402852
October48152569
November20629285
December38512171

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 6.7 km from Paxton. 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 USW00063870 (Florala Muni AP). Public domain.