Richmond County climate

Richmond County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Augusta Bush Fld AP, 10.2 km from Richmond County, elevation 132 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Augusta Bush Fld 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 March 23 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 232 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 23, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 8, first November 24

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

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 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12
32°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 27
28°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 19
24°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 12
20°FDec 2Dec 9Dec 16Dec 24Dec 31Jan 4Jan 10Jan 19Feb 1
16°FDec 10Dec 18Dec 25Dec 29Jan 4Jan 12Jan 17Jan 28Feb 3

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°F232224219214210206202196189
32°F258249243237232226221216210
28°F295283275267261256250243234
24°F334322311303297290283276264
20°F365359349340334327319308298
16°F365365365365365359349338326

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
85% of years
16°F or colder
46% 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
2,182
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,361
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,368
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,665
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,095
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,683
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,432

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January548483
February4036110
March25726262
April9380439
May12253705
June0441891
July05531,018
August0521986
September3345792
October80112500
November29818206
December4895104

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 10.2 km from Richmond 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 USW00003820 (Augusta Bush Fld AP). Public domain.