Clay County climate

Clay County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Gaines 2, 6.7 km from Clay County, elevation 210 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Gaines 2. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around November 21, a growing season of about 256 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 25, first November 8
Median at 32°F
last March 13, first November 21
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first December 8

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 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 8
32°FMar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21
28°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 9Jan 30
24°FMar 10Mar 2Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Feb 2Jan 28Jan 21Jan 9
20°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 8Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 13Jan 5Dec 22
16°FFeb 23Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 20Jan 11Jan 3Dec 15

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 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 28
32°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
28°FNov 17Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Dec 30Jan 6
24°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 15Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 10Jan 18Feb 1
20°FDec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 5Jan 10Jan 17Jan 25Feb 1Feb 13
16°FDec 14Dec 31Jan 8Jan 16Jan 24Jan 31Feb 3Feb 10Feb 18

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°F255246240235230225222217209
32°F284275268261256251244238230
28°F321307299293287280274266255
24°F362344334328320312305298286
20°F365365365365353343334324310
16°F365365365365365365365364333

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
93% of years
20°F or colder
62% of years
16°F or colder
22% 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
1,988
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,271
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,444
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,705
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,094
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,641
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,362

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January508294
February3893104
March24714254
April9363422
May11251705
June0421871
July0516981
August0493958
September1358807
October61126531
November24321244
December4364122

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 6.7 km from Clay County. 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 USC00093578 (Ft Gaines 2). Public domain.