Waldo climate

Waldo Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gainesville Rgnl AP, 15.1 km from Waldo, elevation 123 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gainesville Rgnl 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 3 and the first fall freeze around December 2, a growing season of about 277 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 17, first November 19
Median at 32°F
last March 3, first December 2
Median at 28°F
last February 12, first December 25

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 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 27
32°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13Feb 1
28°FMar 14Mar 4Feb 27Feb 20Feb 12Feb 6Jan 30Jan 21Jan 9
24°FFeb 23Feb 14Feb 7Feb 1Jan 27Jan 19Jan 11Jan 4Dec 26
20°FFeb 15Feb 6Jan 31Jan 25Jan 17Jan 12Jan 6Jan 1Dec 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 3Nov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 9
32°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 21Jan 1
28°FNov 25Dec 2Dec 8Dec 15Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14Jan 26
24°FDec 6Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 20Jan 31Feb 9
20°FDec 19Dec 28Jan 3Jan 7Jan 12Jan 18Jan 26Feb 1Feb 12
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°F277267258252246241235229219
32°F310300292284277270264256246
28°F352337328320312304297288276
24°F365365365358348339333322311
20°F365365365365365365365354336
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
94% of years
24°F or colder
67% of years
20°F or colder
26% of years
16°F or colder
4% 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
1,139
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,741
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,737
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,943
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,205
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,569
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,069

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January33016206
February21329257
March13262402
April35140555
May3313775
June0447897
July0507972
August0504969
September0413862
October25222662
November13362387
December26828261

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 15.1 km from Waldo. 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 USW00012816 (Gainesville Rgnl AP). Public domain.