Russell climate

Russell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Winder 4S, 6.2 km from Russell, elevation 889 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Winder 4S. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 7, a growing season of about 219 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 15, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 7
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 20

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 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
32°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
28°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Feb 28
24°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 15Feb 2
20°FMar 17Mar 8Mar 2Feb 25Feb 16Feb 8Jan 31Jan 24Jan 13
16°FMar 7Feb 26Feb 14Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 12Jan 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 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
32°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 26
28°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9
24°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19Dec 28Jan 4
20°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 14Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 7Jan 13Jan 24
16°FDec 15Dec 24Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 17Jan 25Feb 5

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°F215209204200196193189184178
32°F242234229224219215210205199
28°F274264256250246240235229221
24°F318303293285277271265256246
20°F350336329320310303294283274
16°F365363352343336330322309299

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
80% 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
2,931
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,591
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,925
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,313
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,868
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,599
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,502

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January680027
February523046
March3775161
April17430314
May38139566
June2313762
July0420885
August0401866
September10229669
October13246386
November3877143
December608043

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 6.2 km from Russell. 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 USC00099466 (Winder 4S). Public domain.