Walton County climate

Walton County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for De Funiak Springs 1 E, 13.8 km from Walton County, elevation 245 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for De Funiak Springs 1 E. 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 February 28 and the first fall freeze around November 28, a growing season of about 275 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 17, first November 15
Median at 32°F
last February 28, first November 28
Median at 28°F
last February 12, first December 16

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 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7Mar 1Feb 23
32°FMar 22Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 3
28°FMar 11Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 25Jan 10
24°FFeb 28Feb 18Feb 7Feb 2Jan 30Jan 25Jan 17Jan 7Dec 28
20°FFeb 16Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 21Jan 14Jan 9Jan 4Dec 31
16°FFeb 5Jan 30Jan 25Jan 20Jan 17Jan 12Jan 9Jan 4Jan 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 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29Dec 5
32°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 26
28°FNov 18Nov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 16Dec 25Dec 31Jan 5Jan 15
24°FDec 3Dec 13Dec 25Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 12Jan 20Feb 1
20°FDec 18Dec 30Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 13Jan 20Jan 28Feb 4
16°FJan 1Jan 3Jan 6Jan 10Jan 14Jan 18Jan 22Jan 26Feb 2

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°F275264257250244239234226218
32°F311298289281275268262254243
28°F345334323316306300291282269
24°F365365356346338333325314303
20°F365365365365365362350341330
16°F365365365365365365365365355

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
80% of years
20°F or colder
47% of years
16°F or colder
17% 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
1,640
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,582
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,100
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,342
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,671
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,136
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,769

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4436133
February30110172
March18238336
April64112500
May4306767
June0457907
July05381,003
August0513978
September0386835
October48170589
November21534287
December38313165

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 13.8 km from Walton 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 USC00082220 (De Funiak Springs 1 E). Public domain.