Garner climate

Garner Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Britt 3E, 11.6 km from Garner, elevation 1220 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Britt 3E. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 161 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 17

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 20May 15May 12May 9May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 24
32°FMay 10May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
28°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 25
20°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 15
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8

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 16Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
28°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30

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°F161155151147143140136131125
32°F179172168164161157154149144
28°F200194189184180175172167162
24°F220214209204200196192186180
20°F238231225221217213208203197
16°F257249244239235230225220213

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
7,721
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
650
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,634
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,609
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,691
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,888
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,204

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55000
February1,28500
March1,02609
April591363
May24539285
June38153566
July8231688
August22157600
September15661366
October5177105
November932010
December1,35300

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 11.6 km from Garner. 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 USC00130923 (Britt 3E). Public domain.