Weeki Wachee Gardens climate

Weeki Wachee Gardens Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Weeki Wachee, 5.5 km from Weeki Wachee Gardens, elevation 20 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Weeki Wachee. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around January 1, a growing season of about 322 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 23, first December 9
Median at 32°F
last February 5, first January 1
Median at 28°F
last January 24, first January 9

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°FMar 23Mar 14Mar 6Mar 1Feb 23Feb 17Feb 11Feb 4Jan 26
32°FMar 5Feb 25Feb 18Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 17Jan 6
28°FFeb 18Feb 9Feb 3Jan 31Jan 24Jan 17Jan 11Jan 5Dec 27
24°FFeb 14Feb 2Jan 31Jan 22Jan 17Jan 10Jan 5Jan 1Dec 27
20°F–––––––––
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 11Nov 21Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 17Dec 25Jan 2Jan 13
32°FDec 1Dec 8Dec 18Dec 24Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 17Feb 1
28°FDec 13Dec 24Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 14Jan 22Jan 31Feb 9
24°FDec 19Dec 29Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 17Jan 24Feb 1Feb 11
20°F–––––––––
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°F326313305297290282275266253
32°F365347337331322315307299288
28°F365365365365357347338330319
24°F365365365365365365365365348
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
99% of years
32°F or colder
90% of years
28°F or colder
59% of years
24°F or colder
20% of years
20°F or colder
1% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
676
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,478
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,930
Growing degree days, base 45°F
10,116
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,329
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,601
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,971

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January21747320
February13365361
March75123516
April17220653
May1374839
June0498948
July05551,020
August05561,021
September0498948
October8331787
November63131519
December16181398

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 5.5 km from Weeki Wachee Gardens. 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 USC00089430 (Weeki Wachee). Public domain.