Independence climate

Independence Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Amite, 8.4 km from Independence, elevation 170 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Amite. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around November 18, a growing season of about 257 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 26, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 7, first November 18
Median at 28°F
last February 20, first December 2

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 13Apr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9Mar 2
32°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 10
28°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 22
24°FMar 3Feb 22Feb 12Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 18Jan 8Dec 27
20°FFeb 14Feb 3Jan 30Jan 24Jan 18Jan 11Jan 5Dec 30Dec 21
16°FFeb 2Jan 30Jan 26Jan 18Jan 11Jan 7Jan 3Dec 30Dec 21

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 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 24
32°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 8
28°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 25Jan 4
24°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 21Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 14Jan 29
20°FDec 8Dec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 3Jan 8Jan 14Jan 23Feb 1
16°FDec 17Dec 26Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 10Jan 17Jan 26Jan 31

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°F254246238232226220214209200
32°F289279271264257250244237227
28°F329317308301293285278268257
24°F365356345337330323315305291
20°F365365365365362354346335326
16°F365365365365365365365365353

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
88% of years
20°F or colder
54% of years
16°F or colder
18% 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
1,821
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,459
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,808
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,074
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,444
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,954
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,622

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4756116
February33810152
March18742337
April75108485
May7278736
June0433883
July0499964
August0507972
September2382831
October62151555
November24532267
December43111147

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 8.4 km from Independence. 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 USC00160205 (Amite). Public domain.