Dougherty County climate

Dougherty County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albany Sw Ga Rgnl AP, 2.1 km from Dougherty County, elevation 190 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albany Sw Ga Rgnl 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 March 8 and the first fall freeze around November 21, a growing season of about 260 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 23, first November 10
Median at 32°F
last March 8, first November 21
Median at 28°F
last February 19, first December 5

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 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 3
32°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21Feb 13
28°FMar 16Mar 7Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 15Feb 9Feb 1Jan 24
24°FFeb 28Feb 19Feb 13Feb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 13Jan 1
20°FFeb 14Feb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 5Dec 27
16°FFeb 9Feb 5Jan 30Jan 26Jan 21Jan 16Jan 12Jan 8Jan 2

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 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
32°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 3Dec 11
28°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 21Jan 1Jan 10
24°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 14Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 18Feb 2
20°FDec 11Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 14Jan 20Jan 27Feb 5
16°FJan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 13Jan 19Jan 24Jan 29Feb 1Feb 9

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°F259250244239233229224218210
32°F292278271265260254248242233
28°F329316308301294287279270258
24°F365351342334328321314306293
20°F365365365365359349341332321
16°F365365365365365365365365348

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
87% of years
20°F or colder
53% of years
16°F or colder
15% 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
1,684
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,692
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,165
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,414
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,763
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,250
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,885

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4569134
February31812164
March18743333
April56114510
May4323784
June0477927
July05611,026
August05471,012
September1394843
October45166587
November22134281
December39613163

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 2.1 km from Dougherty 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 USW00013869 (Albany Sw Ga Rgnl AP). Public domain.