White Springs climate

White Springs Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for White Springs 7N, 12.4 km from White Springs, elevation 132 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for White Springs 7N. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around December 7, a growing season of about 287 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 13, first November 21
Median at 32°F
last February 24, first December 7
Median at 28°F
last February 1, first December 28

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 28Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 19
32°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4Jan 28
28°FMar 2Feb 21Feb 13Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 21Jan 14Jan 2
24°FFeb 18Feb 7Jan 31Jan 28Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 4Dec 26
20°FFeb 11Feb 2Jan 28Jan 17Jan 13Jan 7Jan 4Dec 29Dec 21
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 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 12
32°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20Dec 28Jan 6
28°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 21Dec 28Jan 2Jan 7Jan 14Jan 24
24°FDec 11Dec 22Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 14Jan 21Jan 28Feb 6
20°FDec 13Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 15Jan 19Jan 31Feb 10
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°F287274267261256251246238230
32°F323310301294287280273266257
28°F364348338332323315308300288
24°F365365365365356347339329317
20°F365365365365365365365365349
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
91% of years
24°F or colder
60% of years
20°F or colder
20% 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
1,250
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,767
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,655
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,863
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,135
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,519
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,053

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January36414181
February24218220
March13854389
April37142556
May3316778
June0458907
July05461,011
August0527992
September0413862
October31209644
November14151366
December29520231

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 12.4 km from White Springs. 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 USC00089640 (White Springs 7N). Public domain.