Olivet climate

Olivet Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Charlotte, 14.6 km from Olivet, elevation 902 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Charlotte. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 28

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 28May 24May 19May 17May 13May 10May 6May 3Apr 29
32°FMay 18May 12May 7May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19
28°FMay 6Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 26
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6

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 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
28°FOct 12Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 20

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°F160154149145141138134129122
32°F185178172168164160156151143
28°F209201196192188184180175168
24°F233225220216212209205200193
20°F257249243238235231227222215
16°F279270264259255250246241233

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
6,941
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
536
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,546
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,479
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,543
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,736
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,060

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31900
February1,13301
March972115
April583363
May26932257
June60114505
July14189640
August27141580
September15452355
October4725113
November805013
December1,13302

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 14.6 km from Olivet. 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 USC00201476 (Charlotte). Public domain.