Sedgwick climate

Sedgwick Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for E Surry, 24.5 km from Sedgwick, elevation 105 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for E Surry. 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 May 8 and the first fall freeze around October 9, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 21, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 9
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 21

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°FJun 3May 29May 27May 24May 21May 19May 16May 13May 8
32°FMay 23May 18May 15May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27
28°FMay 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
16°FApr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11

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°FSep 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 10
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 24
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29
16°FNov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 28Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8

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°F146139134131128124121117111
32°F171165160156152148144139132
28°F199192187182178174169164157
24°F223218214209206202198193185
20°F246239235231227224220217211
16°F263256251248244240236232227

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
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
7,651
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
221
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,727
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,723
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,868
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,168
Growing degree days, base 60°F
611

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,39300
February1,20000
March1,05403
April70108
May3923116
June13521337
July2499539
August2679518
September19320284
October536058
November82705
December1,17000

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 24.5 km from Sedgwick. 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 USC00172443 (E Surry). Public domain.