Laurens climate

Laurens Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sioux Rapids 4 E, 18.1 km from Laurens, elevation 1420 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sioux Rapids 4 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 April 30 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 18

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 13May 10May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 26
32°FMay 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
28°FMay 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
20°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 21Mar 15
16°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 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 15Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17Oct 21
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31
24°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
20°FOct 22Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19
16°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 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°F160153149145141138134129124
32°F179173167163159155152147141
28°F200194189184180175171166158
24°F218211207203199196191187180
20°F235228222218214210207201195
16°F251244239234230226221216209

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
7,396
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
668
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,782
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,722
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,777
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,948
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,241

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49600
February1,22201
March965115
April541483
May22744304
June31166585
July8227683
August22154597
September14566379
October4888118
November915012
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 18.1 km from Laurens. 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 USC00137726 (Sioux Rapids 4 E). Public domain.