Christopher climate

Christopher Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Du Quoin 4 Se, 12.4 km from Christopher, elevation 420 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Du Quoin 4 Se. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 2

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°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 4
32°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
28°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
24°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28
20°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 13
16°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 12Feb 7Jan 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°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 26
32°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17
16°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1

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°F195189184180176172167162155
32°F218212206202199194189184177
28°F244236229224220216212206199
24°F268260254248243238233229222
20°F293283276270267262257250242
16°F316307300293287281275268259

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
4,564
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,329
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,664
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,318
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,113
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,046
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,116

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,01808
February792015
March593480
April27226245
May83117500
June6286730
July0384849
August2332795
September49148550
October26331263
November594265
December893014

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 12.4 km from Christopher. 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 USC00112483 (Du Quoin 4 Se). Public domain.