Franklin climate

Franklin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jacksonville 2E, 18.3 km from Franklin, elevation 610 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jacksonville 2E. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first October 27

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

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°F178172166162158154149143136
32°F199193188183179174170164157
28°F223216211207202199194187180
24°F247239233228224220215209202
20°F272263257251247242237232222
16°F294284277272267262256250242

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
5,510
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,068
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,898
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,664
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,570
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,605
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,767

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,17602
February94506
March739247
April38513162
May13985416
June17228661
July2320783
August6267727
September75127505
October33323212
November677145
December1,01505

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 18.3 km from Franklin. 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 USC00114442 (Jacksonville 2E). Public domain.