Pierce County climate

Pierce County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waycross 4 Ne, 15.3 km from Pierce County, elevation 145 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waycross 4 Ne. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around November 17, a growing season of about 246 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 31, first November 6
Median at 32°F
last March 15, first November 17
Median at 28°F
last March 1, 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 17Apr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 8
32°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1Feb 20
28°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18Feb 9Jan 31
24°FMar 10Mar 1Feb 23Feb 14Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 19Jan 5
20°FFeb 27Feb 13Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 21Jan 15Jan 7Dec 30
16°FFeb 15Feb 10Feb 5Feb 1Jan 29Jan 20Jan 14Jan 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 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22
32°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30Dec 6
28°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 19Dec 31
24°FNov 22Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 21Dec 31Jan 4Jan 11Jan 23
20°FDec 6Dec 17Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 13Jan 19Jan 28Feb 7
16°FDec 30Jan 3Jan 10Jan 14Jan 20Jan 28Feb 1Feb 7Feb 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°F248239234229224218213207200
32°F278266259252246241235229220
28°F313302292284277271262255245
24°F352338329320311304295284271
20°F365365365356347336330319306
16°F365365365365365365365350331

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
96% of years
20°F or colder
68% of years
16°F or colder
26% 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
1,713
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,568
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,018
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,267
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,610
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,095
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,741

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4627125
February31811163
March19838324
April72108487
May8286742
June0462912
July05501,015
August0522987
September1373822
October58154562
November21042299
December38515171

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 15.3 km from Pierce 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 USC00099186 (Waycross 4 Ne). Public domain.