Taylor County climate

Taylor County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Perry, 9.7 km from Taylor County, elevation 45 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Perry. 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 267 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 20, first November 14
Median at 32°F
last March 4, first November 26
Median at 28°F
last February 17, 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 9Apr 3Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 4Feb 26
32°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24Feb 18Feb 6
28°FMar 13Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 10Feb 3Jan 28Jan 17
24°FMar 1Feb 21Feb 11Feb 4Jan 30Jan 23Jan 14Jan 6Dec 26
20°FFeb 12Feb 4Jan 31Jan 23Jan 16Jan 10Jan 3Dec 30Dec 23
16°FFeb 6Jan 31Jan 24Jan 15Jan 10Jan 4Dec 31Dec 25Dec 13

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 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28Dec 5
32°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 28
28°FNov 17Nov 26Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 24Jan 1Jan 8Jan 18
24°FDec 3Dec 9Dec 18Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 15Jan 24Feb 6
20°FDec 9Dec 21Dec 29Jan 1Jan 7Jan 13Jan 20Jan 30Feb 6
16°FDec 11Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 13Jan 22Jan 30Feb 5

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°F266257251245240234228220212
32°F301289280273267261254247237
28°F341327317309302294286276264
24°F365365353344335329320308296
20°F365365365365365364352340331
16°F365365365365365365365365364

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
98% of years
24°F or colder
84% of years
20°F or colder
43% 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
1,186
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,774
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,727
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,937
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,206
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,578
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,088

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January33616207
February22424244
March13660397
April40133543
May4312773
June0453903
July0521986
August0518983
September0419868
October31225659
November14365380
December27229262

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 9.7 km from Taylor County. 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 USC00087025 (Perry). Public domain.