Leesville climate

Leesville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Leesville, 2 km from Leesville, elevation 28 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Leesville. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 234 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 20, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last February 28, 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 25Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 13
32°FApr 12Apr 5Apr 1Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 2Feb 24
28°FMar 27Mar 18Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 11Jan 31
24°FMar 10Mar 2Feb 25Feb 17Feb 8Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 10
20°FFeb 27Feb 12Feb 4Jan 30Jan 26Jan 21Jan 15Jan 4Dec 27
16°FFeb 10Jan 31Jan 28Jan 24Jan 18Jan 12Jan 5Jan 1Dec 24

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 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 16
32°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Dec 1
28°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 16
24°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 25Jan 2Jan 12
20°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 18Feb 2
16°FDec 17Dec 24Jan 1Jan 3Jan 6Jan 12Jan 18Jan 26Feb 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°F233224218212208203198192185
32°F263253246240234228222215205
28°F301289279272264257250243232
24°F339330318310301294285275262
20°F365365360349340334327316301
16°F365365365365365365365355339

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
77% of years
16°F or colder
35% 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
2,004
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,453
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,641
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,939
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,350
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,896
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,589

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5157107
February35615156
March21148328
April84108477
May12277730
June0431880
July0521986
August0519984
September4351796
October82136522
November27330250
December46812133

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 2 km from Leesville. 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 USC00165266 (Leesville). Public domain.