Pulaski County climate

Pulaski County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Grand Chain Dam 53, 7.8 km from Pulaski County, elevation 385 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Grand Chain Dam 53. 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 5, a growing season of about 216 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 17

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 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 21Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 2
24°FMar 30Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 17
20°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 9Feb 2
16°FMar 12Mar 4Feb 27Feb 21Feb 15Feb 9Feb 4Jan 30Jan 20

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 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
32°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 22
28°FNov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4
24°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18
20°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 13Dec 19Dec 24Dec 31
16°FNov 30Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 24Dec 29Jan 1Jan 7Jan 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°F211205200197193188184179172
32°F238230225221216211206202194
28°F263255249244239235229223214
24°F289280273268261256250243235
20°F314304297291284278272265256
16°F338327320313307301295286275

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
99% 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
4,102
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,546
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,149
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,731
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,461
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,339
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,368

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January941010
February738017
March558280
April24823254
May71121515
June5310754
July0430894
August0400865
September22215643
October20443318
November506390
December809020

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 7.8 km from Pulaski County. 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 USC00113580 (Grand Chain Dam 53). Public domain.