Mulberry climate

Mulberry Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Joplin 24 N, 14.8 km from Mulberry, elevation 952 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Joplin 24 N. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 2

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 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
32°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22
28°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8
24°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27
20°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 4Mar 2Feb 26Feb 22Feb 16
16°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 15Feb 10Jan 31

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 28Oct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
32°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 19
24°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1
20°FNov 3Nov 10Nov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24

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°F197189184179175171166160153
32°F219212207202198193188183174
28°F245236230225220216211206199
24°F268260253247242237232226219
20°F290281274269264259253246237
16°F316305298291286280274267259

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
4,376
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,381
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,817
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,439
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,202
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,112
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,173

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97009
February759124
March5406101
April26424244
May92104480
June3277724
July0408872
August1370834
September46154558
October25634273
November561372
December885011

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 14.8 km from Mulberry. 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 USW00023908 (Joplin 24 N). Public domain.