Richmond climate

Richmond Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tallulah, 1.3 km from Richmond, elevation 85 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tallulah. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 24, a growing season of about 271 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 14, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 2, first November 24
Median at 28°F
last February 13, first December 10

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 3Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 24
32°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 3
28°FMar 10Mar 2Feb 25Feb 19Feb 13Feb 5Jan 31Jan 25Jan 14
24°FMar 2Feb 18Feb 9Feb 2Jan 30Jan 23Jan 16Jan 8Dec 28
20°FFeb 16Feb 7Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 14Jan 9Jan 5Dec 28
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°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Dec 1
32°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14
28°FNov 18Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17Dec 27Jan 2Jan 13
24°FDec 3Dec 10Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 19Feb 1
20°FDec 22Dec 30Jan 1Jan 6Jan 9Jan 15Jan 21Jan 29Feb 5
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°F269261253248242237232225216
32°F301289281276271265259252241
28°F337327319311305299289282270
24°F365365354344336331323312301
20°F365365365365365365356343329
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
99% of years
24°F or colder
80% of years
20°F or colder
39% of years
16°F or colder
9% 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
1,893
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,856
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,150
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,433
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,824
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,353
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,025

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5048112
February36312148
March20649333
April65141528
May5328787
June0496946
July05891,054
August05901,055
September2419867
October58176585
November24736270
December44413139

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 1.3 km from Richmond. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00168923 (Tallulah). Public domain.