White Castle climate

White Castle Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Carville 2 Sw, 3.7 km from White Castle, elevation 25 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Carville 2 Sw. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around December 13, a growing season of about 308 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 28, first November 27
Median at 32°F
last February 9, first December 13
Median at 28°F
last January 27, first January 1

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 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 1
32°FMar 10Mar 1Feb 23Feb 15Feb 9Feb 4Jan 30Jan 22Jan 12
28°FFeb 27Feb 15Feb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 15Jan 7Dec 30
24°FFeb 12Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 18Jan 14Jan 11Jan 6Jan 1
20°FFeb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 22Jan 16Jan 13Jan 11Jan 7Jan 5
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 6Nov 12Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 20
32°FNov 16Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 20Dec 27Jan 2Jan 11
28°FDec 4Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 17Feb 1
24°FDec 27Jan 1Jan 3Jan 6Jan 10Jan 14Jan 18Jan 30Feb 8
20°FJan 2Jan 4Jan 6Jan 10Jan 13Jan 16Jan 21Jan 25Feb 1
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°F307295289281276268262254246
32°F343332324316308301292283271
28°F365365357348341334328319305
24°F365365365365365365361351336
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
98% of years
28°F or colder
76% of years
24°F or colder
36% of years
20°F or colder
11% 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
1,402
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,767
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,508
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,731
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,025
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,442
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,017

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January3988152
February26517205
March14252384
April39137548
May2328791
June0471921
July05431,008
August05421,007
September0420870
October33193625
November18242324
December34115191

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 3.7 km from White Castle. 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 USC00161565 (Carville 2 Sw). Public domain.