Pike County climate

Pike County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Petersburg 61 Brg, 7.9 km from Pike County, elevation 472 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Petersburg 61 Brg. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 7, 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 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
32°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
28°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24
24°FApr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 10
20°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 23
16°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7

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 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 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°F184178174170166162158153146
32°F204197193189186182177173166
28°F229222215211207203199195189
24°F258248241236231226221216208
20°F283273266261257252246240233
16°F308298290284278272267261253

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
5,064
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,033
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,048
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,768
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,629
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,624
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,755

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07405
February86708
March686149
April36412175
May12375420
June14224660
July2312775
August5263724
September59125517
October30220227
November624261
December94509

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 7.9 km from Pike County. 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 USC00126872 (Petersburg 61 Brg). Public domain.