Chariton climate

Chariton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chariton 1 E, 2.3 km from Chariton, elevation 965 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chariton 1 E. 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 May 5 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 16

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 28May 25May 21May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 1
32°FMay 19May 14May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
20°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
16°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 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 12Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 9
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
28°FSep 30Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
24°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
20°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Dec 1

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°F151144139135131127123118111
32°F169163159154151147143137130
28°F190183178174170166162157150
24°F212204199196192188182176169
20°F235226221217212207202197188
16°F257249242237233229225219211

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
6,801
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
732
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,969
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,865
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,887
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,036
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,312

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,37000
February1,12802
March881126
April514492
May23235289
June38149561
July7255713
August16204652
September13876396
October4509135
November830020
December1,19801

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 2.3 km from Chariton. 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 USC00131394 (Chariton 1 E). Public domain.