Laurel climate

Laurel Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Laurel 3 W, 4.8 km from Laurel, elevation 400 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Laurel 3 W. 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 April 5 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 218 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 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°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
32°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21
28°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10
24°FMar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 9
16°FMar 12Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 14Feb 7Feb 2Jan 23

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 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 11
32°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24
28°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8
24°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 25
20°FNov 27Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 6Jan 13
16°FDec 13Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 15Jan 21Jan 29

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°F213207202198194190186182174
32°F238231226222218214209204198
28°F265257251246242238233228220
24°F291283277271266261256250241
20°F315306300295290285279272263
16°F341331325317310306301295289

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
97% 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
4,314
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,470
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,855
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,481
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,262
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,183
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,254

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January94808
February783010
March629357
April29624218
May92105478
June9289730
July0434899
August0388852
September24192618
October21835298
November515176
December800017

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 4.8 km from Laurel. 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 USC00185111 (Laurel 3 W). Public domain.