Lydia climate

Lydia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jeanerette 5 Nw, 8 km from Lydia, elevation 20 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jeanerette 5 Nw. 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 February 15 and the first fall freeze around December 3, a growing season of about 294 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 4, first November 19
Median at 32°F
last February 15, first December 3
Median at 28°F
last January 29, first December 24

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°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16Feb 5
32°FMar 13Mar 6Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15Feb 8Feb 1Jan 26Jan 17
28°FMar 1Feb 20Feb 8Feb 1Jan 29Jan 22Jan 15Jan 5Dec 23
24°FFeb 9Feb 2Jan 30Jan 24Jan 17Jan 11Jan 5Dec 30Dec 20
20°FFeb 5Feb 1Jan 27Jan 19Jan 15Jan 11Jan 7Jan 2Dec 29
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2Dec 10
32°FNov 11Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15Dec 24Jan 4
28°FNov 26Dec 3Dec 9Dec 17Dec 24Jan 1Jan 5Jan 13Jan 26
24°FDec 10Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 14Jan 21Feb 1
20°FDec 27Jan 1Jan 3Jan 6Jan 10Jan 15Jan 20Jan 29Feb 4
16°F–––––––––

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°F298285277269263258252244235
32°F333319310301294287279270259
28°F365353345337332325315306291
24°F365365365365365357347336329
20°F365365365365365365365365353
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
86% of years
24°F or colder
49% of years
20°F or colder
16% of years
16°F or colder
3% 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
1,574
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,573
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,156
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,401
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,733
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,193
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,798

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4309144
February29416189
March16552366
April52125524
May5295755
June0447897
July0510975
August0507972
September1382831
October47173592
November20940304
December37118185

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 km from Lydia. 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 USC00164674 (Jeanerette 5 Nw). Public domain.