Jackson County climate

Jackson County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lakefield 2NE, 3.1 km from Jackson County, elevation 1530 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lakefield 2NE. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 23, first October 14

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 23May 19May 15May 13May 11May 8May 6May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 13May 8May 6May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
16°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12

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 12Sep 17Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6
32°FSep 19Sep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
24°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 26

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°F151146143140137133130125118
32°F171165160156153150146142136
28°F192186180176172169164159154
24°F213207201197194189185180174
20°F232223218214210206202197191
16°F248240235230225221216211204

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
8,168
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
538
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,378
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,379
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,487
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,712
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,057

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,60100
February1,32900
March1,08408
April641154
May28331250
June50127527
July14195646
August30129564
September17649338
October554693
November98907
December1,41800

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 3.1 km from Jackson County. 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 USC00214453 (Lakefield 2NE). Public domain.