Augusta climate

Augusta Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Augusta Daniel Fld AP, 5.9 km from Augusta, elevation 423 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Augusta Daniel Fld 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 February 27 and the first fall freeze around December 4, a growing season of about 283 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 13, first November 19
Median at 32°F
last February 27, first December 4
Median at 28°F
last February 8, first December 26

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 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22
32°FMar 19Mar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4
28°FMar 6Feb 27Feb 20Feb 14Feb 8Feb 3Jan 29Jan 22Jan 10
24°FFeb 22Feb 10Feb 3Jan 30Jan 26Jan 20Jan 15Jan 8Dec 30
20°FFeb 8Feb 1Jan 29Jan 24Jan 19Jan 15Jan 9Jan 4Dec 27
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 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3Dec 9
32°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 24Jan 1
28°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 23
24°FDec 12Dec 22Dec 29Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 15Jan 23Feb 1
20°FDec 23Dec 31Jan 5Jan 8Jan 14Jan 18Jan 23Jan 29Feb 3
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°F279270264258252248241236228
32°F314303295289283277271265255
28°F348335329322316309301292281
24°F365365361352344337331321309
20°F365365365365365365358347334
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
97% of years
24°F or colder
72% of years
20°F or colder
35% of years
16°F or colder
9% 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
1,882
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,663
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,953
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,225
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,606
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,132
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,811

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5024108
February3609137
March21838307
April62122512
May7309767
June0480930
July05871,052
August05461,011
September2385834
October55150561
November24025257
December4378131

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 5.9 km from Augusta. 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 USW00013837 (Augusta Daniel Fld AP). Public domain.