Pinehurst climate

Pinehurst Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kellogg, 8.6 km from Pinehurst, elevation 2377 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kellogg. 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 May 14 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 131 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 2, first September 10
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 8

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°FJun 24Jun 16Jun 11Jun 6Jun 2May 30May 27May 22May 16
32°FJun 3May 26May 21May 17May 14May 11May 8May 4Apr 30
28°FMay 13May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18Apr 12
24°FApr 29Apr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 3Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 8

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°FAug 26Sep 1Sep 4Sep 7Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 22Sep 26
32°FSep 9Sep 15Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 24Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24
24°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6Nov 13
20°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 29Nov 2Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
16°FOct 28Nov 5Nov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 16

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°F1211131081029792867968
32°F152145140136131126121115106
28°F184177172167162158153149140
24°F226216209202198193187181172
20°F266256249241236231226218209
16°F296287279273266259253245236

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
6,932
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
293
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,701
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,678
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,843
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,163
Growing degree days, base 60°F
646

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10500
February92300
March82602
April599028
May3437171
June17435315
July48131549
August59107514
September24814232
October612032
November88201
December1,11400

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 8.6 km from Pinehurst. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00104831 (Kellogg). Public domain.