Wellborn climate

Wellborn Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Live Oak, 15.3 km from Wellborn, elevation 120 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Live Oak. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around December 6, a growing season of about 292 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 13, first November 21
Median at 32°F
last February 20, first December 6
Median at 28°F
last January 31, first December 29

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 6Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 1Feb 24Feb 15
32°FMar 19Mar 10Mar 3Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 7Jan 31Jan 20
28°FMar 3Feb 21Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 25Jan 17Jan 7Dec 28
24°FFeb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 24Jan 18Jan 13Jan 5Dec 30Dec 20
20°FFeb 7Jan 31Jan 26Jan 18Jan 11Jan 5Jan 1Dec 29Dec 20
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 4Nov 8Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14
32°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 27Dec 3Dec 6Dec 13Dec 20Dec 31Jan 8
28°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 15Jan 27
24°FDec 7Dec 17Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 17Jan 24Feb 2
20°FDec 12Dec 25Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 14Jan 23Jan 31Feb 6
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°F293280271264257251244236224
32°F330317308301292285278269257
28°F365351342333325318310302289
24°F365365365365363352342334323
20°F365365365365365365365365347
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
99% of years
28°F or colder
87% of years
24°F or colder
50% of years
20°F or colder
18% of years
16°F or colder
1% 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
957
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,254
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,428
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,623
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,858
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,181
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,636

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January28624242
February17938291
March9895466
April24190617
May1384848
June0513963
July05831,048
August05721,037
September0464913
October18263710
November11588428
December23742297

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 15.3 km from Wellborn. 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 USC00085099 (Live Oak). Public domain.