Loogootee climate

Loogootee Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Shoals 8 S, 17.3 km from Loogootee, elevation 477 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Shoals 8 S. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 2

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 14May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
32°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Mar 31
28°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9Mar 3
20°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 20
16°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 13Feb 6

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 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 2
20°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9Dec 16
16°FNov 17Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24Dec 29

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°F188180176171168164160155148
32°F210203198194189185181175166
28°F236227221217213209204198189
24°F262253247242237232228222215
20°F287277271266261256251245237
16°F311303296290284278272265257

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
4,708
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,313
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,567
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,234
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,047
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,997
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,085

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,024012
February826016
March633473
April31023221
May103114478
June10276715
July1371835
August2327790
September49163565
October27733255
November585371
December888016

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 17.3 km from Loogootee. 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 USC00128036 (Shoals 8 S). Public domain.