Fayette climate

Fayette Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Natchez, 29.8 km from Fayette, elevation 195 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Natchez. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 237 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 16, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 1, first November 22

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 19Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17Mar 10
32°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 2Feb 25
28°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 17Feb 7
24°FMar 9Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 16Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 16
20°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 8Feb 1Jan 29Jan 24Jan 16Jan 8Dec 29
16°FFeb 16Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 21Jan 15Jan 9Jan 2Dec 26

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 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
32°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 27
28°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
24°FNov 15Nov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 30Jan 6
20°FDec 2Dec 10Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 17Feb 1
16°FDec 15Dec 24Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 12Jan 18Jan 26Feb 4

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°F237229223219213209204198192
32°F264255247242237232226219210
28°F295285277270264259253246238
24°F334323312305298291283274263
20°F365362351342335329320311300
16°F365365365365365361352339328

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
86% of years
16°F or colder
49% 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
2,361
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,106
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,995
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,341
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,811
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,416
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,173

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January581489
February4298117
March26928267
April10976422
May19225671
June0387837
July0477942
August0462927
September5308753
October103104472
November32519203
December5227111

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 29.8 km from Fayette. 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 USC00226177 (Natchez). Public domain.