Murray climate

Murray Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Osceola, 16.9 km from Murray, elevation 1028 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Osceola. 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 9, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first October 20

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 29Apr 24
32°FMay 11May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 2
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 20
20°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10
16°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1

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 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 13
32°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 24
28°FOct 2Oct 9Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
16°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3

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°F162155151147144140137132126
32°F183175170166162158154149142
28°F203196191186182178174169162
24°F226218213208204199194190183
20°F248240234229224219214210203
16°F268261255250245240235230222

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
6,442
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
945
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,385
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,246
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,233
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,341
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,576

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33900
February1,09602
March832130
April4615113
May18752343
June22198626
July3319781
August9259714
September11099445
October41713156
November795022
December1,17201

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 16.9 km from Murray. 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 USC00136316 (Osceola). Public domain.