Palestine climate

Palestine Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Palestine, 1 km from Palestine, elevation 450 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Palestine. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 193 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 1

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 9May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
32°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
28°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15
24°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 1
20°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 17
16°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4

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 25Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 21Dec 27

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°F189183178174170166162156147
32°F213206202197193189185179173
28°F236228223219215210206201193
24°F263253248243238233229222213
20°F288277270266260255251245236
16°F312301294288283277271264255

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
4,833
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,243
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,432
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,127
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,954
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,913
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,008

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06606
February841010
March637368
April30320214
May90113489
June7269712
July1354818
August2307770
September49148550
October27628251
November625156
December936010

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 1 km from Palestine. 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 USC00116558 (Palestine). Public domain.