Elbert County climate

Elbert County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elberton 2 N, 3 km from Elbert County, elevation 540 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elberton 2 N. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 209 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 24, first November 10

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 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
28°FApr 11Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11Mar 3
24°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20Feb 7
20°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 2Feb 25Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4Jan 29Jan 17
16°FMar 3Feb 20Feb 12Feb 4Jan 31Jan 24Jan 18Jan 12Jan 1

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

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°F207200195191187183179174167
32°F231223217212209205200195188
28°F262249242237232227222216208
24°F302287276269262255249242233
20°F336325315307299291284275261
16°F365358348338332325318307295

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
87% 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
3,270
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,557
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,610
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,060
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,682
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,472
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,432

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January722028
February570038
March4204135
April19432301
May49132549
June2314762
July0426891
August0391856
September16213646
October17840339
November455499
December664139

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 3 km from Elbert 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 USC00093060 (Elberton 2 N). Public domain.