Martin climate

Martin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Prestonsburg 3WSW, 11.3 km from Martin, elevation 760 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Prestonsburg 3WSW. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first November 1

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 19May 13May 9May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
32°FMay 10May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 9
20°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Feb 28Feb 22
16°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4

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 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25
32°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2Dec 11
16°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10Dec 18Dec 25Jan 2

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°F181175171167163159155150142
32°F201195190186183179174169162
28°F226218212207203199194189182
24°F252241235229225221216211203
20°F280269263258252246241234225
16°F313301293287280274266259247

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
4,705
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,022
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,119
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,781
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,611
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,603
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,747

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98505
February79206
March646039
April33115191
May11168426
June8193636
July0313778
August2277741
September54137534
October30419213
November613038
December86005

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 11.3 km from Martin. 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 USC00156563 (Prestonsburg 3WSW). Public domain.