Breckinridge County climate

Breckinridge County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mcdaniels, 13.7 km from Breckinridge County, elevation 425 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mcdaniels. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 196 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 17
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 4

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 7May 2Apr 30Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
32°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
28°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15
24°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 2
20°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 9

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°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15
16°FNov 17Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 29

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°F193187183179176172168164158
32°F214208204200196192188183177
28°F237231225221217213209205198
24°F262254248243239235230224218
20°F286277271265261256251245238
16°F309300293288282277270265256

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
4,600
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,140
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,418
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,059
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,856
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,804
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,900

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99207
February811020
March606371
April28424236
May10291457
June8221663
July1332797
August2305769
September49140542
October28322233
November593154
December87109

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 13.7 km from Breckinridge County. 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 USC00155280 (Mcdaniels). Public domain.