Ashley climate

Ashley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Angola, 15.9 km from Ashley, elevation 1020 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Angola. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 29

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 23May 18May 15May 12May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 27
32°FMay 15May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14
16°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 2

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 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31
28°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19

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°F166159154150147143139135129
32°F187181175171167163159154148
28°F210203199195191187183177170
24°F234226221217213210206201195
20°F257250245240236232227223217
16°F281273266261255250246240231

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
6,676
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
620
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,787
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,687
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,721
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,886
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,179

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29401
February1,10501
March926117
April548475
May23940288
June45138543
July9211666
August19163609
September13658378
October4516123
November788018
December1,11804

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 15.9 km from Ashley. 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 USC00120200 (Angola). Public domain.