Fayette climate

Fayette Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fayette, 5.1 km from Fayette, elevation 1145 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fayette. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 15

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 23May 19May 16May 13May 11May 8May 5Apr 30
32°FMay 17May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 30
20°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24Mar 18
16°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10

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 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 7
20°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 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°F151146141137134130127122116
32°F170164159155151147144140133
28°F192184180176173168165158151
24°F214207202197193189186181174
20°F234226221216212208204199192
16°F254246240236231227222218211

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
7,767
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
523
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,420
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,397
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,491
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,704
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,043

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,53900
February1,28200
March1,020011
April596261
May27129255
June54118515
July15187637
August30133567
September17448337
October523698
November926010
December1,33600

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 5.1 km from Fayette. 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 USC00132864 (Fayette). Public domain.