Kingston climate

Kingston Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cartersville AP, 15.4 km from Kingston, elevation 763 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cartersville 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 April 5 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 211 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 20, 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 5Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
32°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 9Apr 2Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7Feb 28
24°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 8
20°FMar 12Mar 3Feb 26Feb 19Feb 12Feb 7Feb 1Jan 26Jan 14
16°FMar 2Feb 17Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 25Jan 20Jan 12Jan 3

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 28Oct 31Nov 4
32°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 18
28°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 2
24°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 15Dec 26
20°FNov 19Nov 30Dec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 7Jan 17
16°FDec 5Dec 15Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Jan 31

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°F210202197192188183179175167
32°F233226221216211206202197190
28°F265255249243237231226220211
24°F303292283276269264257249239
20°F343331320311305298290281269
16°F365364355346338332325311297

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
97% of years
16°F or colder
79% 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
3,118
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,627
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,830
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,266
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,858
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,612
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,539

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January719036
February545152
March3916150
April17531317
May42146569
June1317766
July0428893
August0408873
September12236673
October15750368
November4315111
December644151

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 15.4 km from Kingston. 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 USW00053873 (Cartersville AP). Public domain.