Burke County climate

Burke County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waynesboro 2 S, 1.3 km from Burke County, elevation 277 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waynesboro 2 S. 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 March 21 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 233 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 21, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 7, first November 25

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 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
32°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8Feb 28
28°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20Feb 10
24°FMar 15Mar 7Mar 1Feb 24Feb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 29Jan 18
20°FMar 4Feb 23Feb 11Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 18Jan 11Dec 31
16°FFeb 12Feb 4Jan 31Jan 28Jan 21Jan 13Jan 9Dec 31Dec 21

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 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22Nov 29
28°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 20
24°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 27Jan 2Jan 11
20°FDec 1Dec 10Dec 17Dec 24Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 17Jan 30
16°FDec 9Dec 20Dec 28Jan 3Jan 10Jan 13Jan 20Jan 29Feb 4

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°F232224218213210206202196189
32°F260250243238233228223217210
28°F295284277270263256250243233
24°F334323313306298291283275262
20°F365357346337332325317306294
16°F365365365365365357346335327

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
100% of years
24°F or colder
99% of years
20°F or colder
85% of years
16°F or colder
47% 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
2,447
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,066
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,837
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,173
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,652
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,287
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,088

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January593272
February439493
March29720231
April11965400
May21215659
June1392841
July0502967
August0462927
September5299744
October10490455
November33712176
December531489

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 1.3 km from Burke 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 USC00099194 (Waynesboro 2 S). Public domain.