Cuthbert climate

Cuthbert Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cuthbert, 0.6 km from Cuthbert, elevation 461 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cuthbert. 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 13, a growing season of about 236 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 3, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 21, first November 13
Median at 28°F
last March 9, first November 27

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 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16
32°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8Feb 28
28°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 14
24°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4Jan 27
20°FMar 7Feb 28Feb 20Feb 13Feb 7Feb 1Jan 26Jan 14Jan 3
16°FFeb 27Feb 17Feb 7Feb 2Jan 30Jan 22Jan 17Jan 9Dec 30

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 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
32°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26Dec 3
28°FNov 5Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 21
24°FNov 16Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 21Dec 29Jan 3Jan 13
20°FDec 2Dec 12Dec 22Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 15Jan 26Feb 2
16°FDec 17Dec 28Jan 3Jan 10Jan 16Jan 22Jan 30Feb 4Feb 14

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°F237230224219214210206201194
32°F262253246241236231227221212
28°F295284275268262256249243235
24°F327314305299292284277269257
20°F365349338331323315307298287
16°F365365365365353343333323309

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
90% of years
16°F or colder
61% 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
2,183
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,120
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,131
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,433
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,862
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,441
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,183

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January544180
February4113107
March26817247
April9966419
May13227679
June0399849
July0485950
August0465930
September2329777
October76111504
November28716215
December4853105

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 0.6 km from Cuthbert. 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 USC00092450 (Cuthbert). Public domain.