Early County climate

Early County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Donalsonville, 32.8 km from Early County, elevation 150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Donalsonville. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 23, a growing season of about 264 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 20, first November 11
Median at 32°F
last March 6, first November 23
Median at 28°F
last February 17, first December 12

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 5Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Feb 27
32°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19Feb 10
28°FMar 15Mar 7Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 22
24°FMar 1Feb 18Feb 8Feb 2Jan 30Jan 26Jan 20Jan 12Jan 1
20°FFeb 16Feb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 16Jan 11Jan 6Dec 30
16°FFeb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 25Jan 19Jan 15Jan 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 30Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 29
32°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7Dec 22
28°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 12Dec 22Dec 31Jan 4Jan 14
24°FDec 1Dec 9Dec 21Dec 30Jan 2Jan 8Jan 13Jan 21Feb 1
20°FDec 15Dec 30Jan 3Jan 8Jan 13Jan 18Jan 23Jan 29Feb 5
16°FJan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 13Jan 16Jan 24Jan 27Feb 1Feb 6

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°F265255248242237232227222214
32°F298286278271264258252245235
28°F334323312305297290283274261
24°F365360349339333325316306296
20°F365365365365365358347337326
16°F365365365365365365365365357

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
85% of years
20°F or colder
50% 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
1,796
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,536
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,915
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,186
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,560
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,062
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,709

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5036115
February32711162
March20037322
April66108494
May7298756
June0454904
July0527992
August0521986
September2374822
October50162577
November23329268
December40910162

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 32.8 km from Early 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 USC00092738 (Donalsonville). Public domain.