Pope County climate

Pope County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Glenwood 2WNW, 8 km from Pope County, elevation 1198 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Glenwood 2WNW. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around September 27, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first September 27
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 6

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 7Jun 1May 28May 26May 23May 19May 16May 11May 7
32°FMay 27May 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 28
28°FMay 16May 10May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 21Apr 16
24°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 6
20°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
16°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22

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 3Sep 9Sep 12Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 30
32°FSep 13Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 31
20°FOct 11Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
16°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 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°F13813212612111811410910498
32°F157151147142139134130123117
28°F178170165161156153149144135
24°F196190184180177172168163155
20°F216209204200196192187182175
16°F235227221216212208204198191

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
8,360
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
491
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,255
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,269
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,387
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,624
Growing degree days, base 60°F
985

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,64100
February1,36500
March1,10405
April634150
May27627247
June62100488
July17184632
August31134567
September18343322
October576372
November1,01704
December1,45400

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 8 km from Pope 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 USC00213174 (Glenwood 2WNW). Public domain.