Ecru climate

Ecru Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pontotoc Exp Stn, 24 km from Ecru, elevation 405 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pontotoc Exp Stn. 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 March 28 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 227 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 7, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 28, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 13, first November 20

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°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
32°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 7
28°FApr 2Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 23
24°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 12Feb 3
20°FMar 8Mar 1Feb 23Feb 17Feb 11Feb 6Jan 31Jan 26Jan 15
16°FFeb 27Feb 14Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 18Jan 12Jan 3

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°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 13
32°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26
28°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7
24°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18Dec 29
20°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 21Dec 26Dec 31Jan 6Jan 15
16°FDec 7Dec 16Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 7Jan 13Jan 18Jan 31

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°F226217212207203199195190183
32°F253244238232227221215210202
28°F278269263258252247242234225
24°F309299290284279274268260252
20°F340330322313307301294285274
16°F365358348341335329323313302

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
85% 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
3,066
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,856
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,173
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,610
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,190
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,916
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,806

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January732140
February554159
March37912180
April16152353
May33182614
June1357807
July0459924
August0440905
September13270708
October14872399
November4029146
December644255

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 24 km from Ecru. 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 USC00227111 (Pontotoc Exp Stn). Public domain.