Lapel climate

Lapel Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Anderson Sewage Plt, 12.2 km from Lapel, elevation 841 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Anderson Sewage Plt. 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 23, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first November 3

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 16May 10May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
28°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22
24°FApr 11Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27
16°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 12

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 30Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 20
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18
16°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 18Dec 23Dec 28

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°F184176171167163159155149143
32°F208201195191186182176170162
28°F235225219216211207201195186
24°F261253247241236231226219210
20°F284274268263258253248242233
16°F305296290284279275269263253

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
5,473
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
977
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,802
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,565
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,464
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,495
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,665

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15303
February93607
March742247
April38811156
May15080402
June19213643
July3291753
August5247707
September76113489
October33420205
November667144
December1,00107

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 12.2 km from Lapel. 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 USC00120177 (Anderson Sewage Plt). Public domain.