Crofton climate

Crofton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hopkinsville, 22.3 km from Crofton, elevation 520 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hopkinsville. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 211 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 13

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 1Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
28°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
24°FMar 29Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24Feb 16
20°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Feb 1
16°FMar 9Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 17

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 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
28°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1
24°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 16
20°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1
16°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 13Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 4Jan 10Jan 20

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°F210204199195191187183178172
32°F236227220216211207203198191
28°F262252245240235230225220213
24°F290280273267262255249244236
20°F315304299292286280273266256
16°F342330323317310303297290280

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
98% 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
4,026
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,610
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,280
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,855
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,577
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,440
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,453

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January914015
February714133
March532495
April24336279
May67143542
June4319765
July0437902
August1399863
September27218640
October21350324
November511496
December800023

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 22.3 km from Crofton. 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 USC00153994 (Hopkinsville). Public domain.