Luce County climate

Luce County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newberry Correctional Facility, 4.4 km from Luce County, elevation 886 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newberry Correctional Facility. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 2, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 21, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 18

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 21Jun 13Jun 8Jun 4Jun 2May 30May 28May 25May 20
32°FJun 4May 31May 27May 24May 21May 18May 14May 9May 4
28°FMay 23May 17May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24
24°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 9
20°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
16°FApr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 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°FSep 6Sep 13Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 21
28°FOct 1Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 4
24°FOct 16Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7

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°F1331251201161111071029687
32°F159151145140135131127121115
28°F185177172167163158153147138
24°F211203199194190186180174166
20°F234227222218214210205201194
16°F252246240236231227223217211

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
8,620
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
222
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,439
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,525
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,739
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,078
Growing degree days, base 60°F
564

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,50300
February1,31500
March1,19201
April792014
May4365126
June15033339
July6588488
August7671460
September23825259
October605149
November94103
December1,30800

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 4.4 km from Luce County. 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 USC00205816 (Newberry Correctional Facility). Public domain.