Oak Grove climate

Oak Grove Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cedar, 3.9 km from Oak Grove, elevation 907 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cedar. 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 7, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 19

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 24May 19May 15May 12May 9May 6May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 17May 10May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 17
28°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18
16°FApr 8Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10

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 16Sep 20Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 23Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28

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°F160152148143139135130125116
32°F178172167162158154150145137
28°F199193188184180177173167160
24°F221213209206202198194189183
20°F238230225221218213210206199
16°F252245240236231228224220213

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
7,905
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
535
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,428
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,413
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,515
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,723
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,054

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,57500
February1,29300
March1,04605
April590466
May24531275
June65108494
July13194646
August27142580
September16351349
October535493
November96407
December1,38900

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 3.9 km from Oak Grove. 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 USC00211390 (Cedar). Public domain.