Pinehurst climate

Pinehurst Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Bedford, 6.8 km from Pinehurst, elevation 160 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bedford. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 169 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 27

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 22May 18May 14May 12May 9May 7May 4May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
28°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
20°FApr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6
16°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26

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 20Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 29
28°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
24°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
20°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 17Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21

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°F164157153149146142139134127
32°F189182177173169165161157150
28°F215209205200197193188183176
24°F242233228224220216212207201
20°F265257251247242238233228222
16°F287278274269265261256251243

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
6,207
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
639
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,850
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,708
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,718
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,879
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,184

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18602
February1,01400
March87907
April526468
May24524255
June61111500
July5240700
August12196649
September12160392
October4285116
November710025
December1,02103

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 6.8 km from Pinehurst. 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 USC00190535 (Bedford). Public domain.