Valparaiso climate

Valparaiso Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Niceville, 2.7 km from Valparaiso, elevation 60 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Niceville. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around November 19, a growing season of about 253 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 27, first November 8
Median at 32°F
last March 12, first November 19
Median at 28°F
last February 25, first December 5

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

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 25Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Dec 1
32°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 30Dec 4Dec 13
28°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 20Dec 30Jan 9
24°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 15Dec 24Dec 31Jan 4Jan 10Jan 19Feb 1
20°FDec 12Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 11Jan 16Jan 24Feb 1Feb 7
16°FDec 21Dec 30Jan 4Jan 10Jan 17Jan 23Jan 31Feb 1Feb 6

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°F256247238232227222217212205
32°F284273265259253248241234226
28°F322308300292286278271262250
24°F363346335329320312304295284
20°F365365365365355344334328314
16°F365365365365365365365360339

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
100% of years
24°F or colder
90% of years
20°F or colder
61% of years
16°F or colder
22% 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
1,837
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,286
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,614
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,873
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,238
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,751
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,424

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4814113
February3496138
March22921278
April7866439
May8239696
June0414864
July0490955
August0484949
September1371820
October53157570
November24128261
December3988156

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 2.7 km from Valparaiso. 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 USC00086240 (Niceville). Public domain.