Carsonville climate

Carsonville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lexington Wtp, 21.4 km from Carsonville, elevation 622 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lexington Wtp. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first November 4

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 30May 26May 22May 19May 17May 14May 10May 6May 1
32°FMay 20May 15May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 24Apr 20
28°FMay 9May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 2

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 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19
24°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 19Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24

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°F169162157152149144140135129
32°F192186181175171167163158151
28°F214208203199195191186181174
24°F238232227222218214210205200
20°F264257251245242237233228222
16°F285277271266262258253249243

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
7,128
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
435
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,240
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,198
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,300
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,536
Growing degree days, base 60°F
905

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30200
February1,14500
March1,02307
April671136
May36216175
June11076417
July25153594
August23133575
September13251372
October4535110
November773013
December1,11001

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 21.4 km from Carsonville. 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 USC00204808 (Lexington Wtp). Public domain.