Scott County climate

Scott County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Scottsburg, 3.3 km from Scott County, elevation 570 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Scottsburg. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 5, 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 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
32°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
28°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
24°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 4
20°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18
16°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 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°FSep 29Oct 2Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 22Dec 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°F182176172168164160157151145
32°F205198193189185181177172164
28°F231224219215210206202196189
24°F259250244238234229224219212
20°F285277269264259253248241232
16°F309301293287282276269264254

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
4,847
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,195
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,321
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,019
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,858
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,832
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,940

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02408
February83909
March650260
April32820206
May10695457
June11262700
July0357821
August3302764
September57136530
October29918225
November617264
December913012

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 3.3 km from Scott 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 USC00127875 (Scottsburg). Public domain.