Henderson climate

Henderson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Henderson State Police, 5.2 km from Henderson, elevation 420 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Henderson State Police. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 9, 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 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
32°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26
28°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 11
24°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27
20°FMar 27Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13
16°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 19Feb 13Feb 6Jan 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°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 22
16°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25Dec 30Jan 7

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°F197191185181177174170165159
32°F217211206202198195191185179
28°F242233227223219215210204196
24°F270260253248242237232226218
20°F297287279272267261255248240
16°F324313305299293287279272263

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
4,418
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,396
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,807
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,439
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,212
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,135
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,196

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99905
February776018
March586476
April25124258
May86128508
June3299747
July0383848
August1354818
September38168581
October23932280
November573465
December868010

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 5.2 km from Henderson. 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 USC00153768 (Henderson State Police). Public domain.