Nicholas County climate

Nicholas County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Flemingsburg 2 N, 27.5 km from Nicholas County, elevation 940 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Flemingsburg 2 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 30, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 30
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 8

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 14May 8May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 9
32°FMay 2Apr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
28°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14
24°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Feb 28
20°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14
16°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 13Feb 7Feb 2

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 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31
32°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 25
24°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4Dec 10
20°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 18Dec 25
16°FNov 26Dec 3Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19Dec 23Dec 28Jan 2Jan 11

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°F197189184179175170166161153
32°F222214208204200194188183174
28°F248238232227224219214210201
24°F274264256252247242237232225
20°F301291284278272267261255247
16°F327315307302296290283276267

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
4,846
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,095
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,223
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,900
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,735
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,718
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,837

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02106
February836014
March687258
April3438182
May11884434
June9218660
July1329793
August2282745
September57145539
October28425242
November616148
December874013

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 27.5 km from Nicholas County. 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 USC00152903 (Flemingsburg 2 N). Public domain.