Lincolnton climate

Lincolnton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Washington 2 Ese, 22.2 km from Lincolnton, elevation 620 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Washington 2 Ese. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around November 13, a growing season of about 237 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 22, first November 13
Median at 28°F
last March 7, first December 1

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

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 21Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
32°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 4
28°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 15Dec 26
24°FNov 23Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 16
20°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 24Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Feb 4
16°FDec 20Dec 29Jan 3Jan 9Jan 14Jan 18Jan 26Feb 1Feb 13

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°F236227222217214210206201194
32°F265255248242237233228223216
28°F303292282275267261255247238
24°F334325315308302295288279267
20°F365359350341334327318308299
16°F365365365365365354341332318

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
85% of years
16°F or colder
47% 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
2,797
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,794
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,263
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,648
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,184
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,882
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,751

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January658148
February508162
March35512185
April14751361
May33172605
June1346795
July0454919
August0425890
September9257697
October12565410
November3788147
December583265

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 22.2 km from Lincolnton. 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 USC00099157 (Washington 2 Ese). Public domain.