Rapides Parish climate

Rapides Parish Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Alexandria 5 Sse, 9.7 km from Rapides Parish, elevation 85 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Alexandria 5 Sse. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 22, a growing season of about 263 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 19, first November 8
Median at 32°F
last March 3, first November 22
Median at 28°F
last February 16, first December 7

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 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 26
32°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 4
28°FMar 13Mar 6Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 7Jan 31Jan 26Jan 13
24°FMar 1Feb 17Feb 8Feb 1Jan 28Jan 24Jan 15Jan 5Dec 27
20°FFeb 7Feb 1Jan 30Jan 24Jan 17Jan 11Jan 4Dec 29Dec 20
16°FFeb 2Jan 31Jan 29Jan 23Jan 19Jan 15Jan 9Jan 5Jan 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 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Dec 1
32°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
28°FNov 15Nov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 21Dec 29Jan 6
24°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 15Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 13Jan 29
20°FDec 10Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 8Jan 15Jan 21Feb 1
16°FJan 1Jan 4Jan 7Jan 10Jan 15Jan 19Jan 25Jan 29Feb 1

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°F265253246241236231225219210
32°F297286278270263257251245236
28°F334322312306298289281271260
24°F365360349341334326316307297
20°F365365365365365362353342330
16°F365365365365365365365365363

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
99% of years
24°F or colder
85% of years
20°F or colder
44% of years
16°F or colder
12% 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
1,925
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,622
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,882
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,167
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,563
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,093
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,771

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5058114
February35916154
March20845326
April72112493
May7297755
June0462912
July05471,012
August05501,015
September2392840
October64153554
November25028257
December45912133

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 9.7 km from Rapides Parish. 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 USC00160103 (Alexandria 5 Sse). Public domain.