Dalton climate

Dalton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chatsworth 2, 18.8 km from Dalton, elevation 710 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chatsworth 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 April 2 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 212 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 15, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 19, first November 13

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°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 29
32°FApr 21Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 14
28°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4Feb 26
24°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15Feb 5
20°FMar 13Mar 6Feb 28Feb 20Feb 15Feb 10Feb 3Jan 29Jan 18
16°FMar 2Feb 19Feb 9Feb 3Jan 31Jan 27Jan 20Jan 14Jan 4

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 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 17
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27Dec 4
24°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 23
20°FNov 18Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 28Jan 4Jan 12
16°FDec 3Dec 14Dec 23Dec 31Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 19Jan 29

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°F211204198193189185181175168
32°F239230224218212208204198190
28°F267257251245240235228222214
24°F303291283276270264257249239
20°F337327317309303296289280268
16°F365355345337333326319308300

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
100% of years
20°F or colder
99% of years
16°F or colder
89% 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
3,346
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,566
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,616
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,087
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,714
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,504
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,456

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January761034
February590141
March4276135
April20137303
May56131542
June2305753
July0417882
August0392857
September15225660
October17147354
November4495108
December675145

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 18.8 km from Dalton. 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 USC00091863 (Chatsworth 2). Public domain.