Arcadia climate

Arcadia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bienville 3 Ne, 19.5 km from Arcadia, elevation 307 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bienville 3 Ne. 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 March 19 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 237 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 6, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 19, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 4, first November 23

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°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23Mar 16
32°FApr 10Apr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 4Feb 26
28°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 6
24°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14Feb 5Jan 30Jan 25Jan 13
20°FMar 3Feb 18Feb 7Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 15Jan 6Dec 29
16°FFeb 18Feb 6Jan 31Jan 25Jan 20Jan 13Jan 8Jan 3Dec 27

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 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 16
32°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
28°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12
24°FNov 13Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 23Jan 1Jan 10
20°FDec 1Dec 10Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 18Feb 1
16°FDec 19Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 13Jan 19Jan 27Feb 8

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°F233225219214209206201196188
32°F265255249242237232226220211
28°F300286278271265259253246236
24°F338328317309302294285275262
20°F365365355348341334325314302
16°F365365365365365365356348333

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
80% of years
16°F or colder
39% 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
2,289
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,376
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,303
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,631
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,091
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,695
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,449

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January571479
February4207113
March25530272
April9688444
May13246698
June0431880
July05381,003
August0530995
September4361807
October91118495
November31019209
December528696

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 19.5 km from Arcadia. 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 USC00160800 (Bienville 3 Ne). Public domain.