Hinds County climate

Hinds County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oakley Exp Stn, 9.5 km from Hinds County, elevation 205 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oakley 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 16 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 236 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 16, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 1, first November 18

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 20Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 18Mar 11
32°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 2Feb 25
28°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1Feb 27Feb 23Feb 17Feb 7
24°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 10Feb 4Jan 29Jan 17
20°FMar 1Feb 20Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 11Dec 29
16°FFeb 20Feb 5Jan 31Jan 26Jan 20Jan 15Jan 10Jan 3Dec 24

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 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
32°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 26
28°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2Dec 11
24°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 19Dec 29Jan 7
20°FNov 24Dec 3Dec 10Dec 22Dec 30Jan 2Jan 8Jan 15Jan 29
16°FDec 11Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 8Jan 12Jan 17Jan 25Feb 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°F236228221216211206202196189
32°F261252246241236230225219210
28°F293281273268262256250244235
24°F332320310302294287279271261
20°F365358344336331323314304291
16°F365365365365365357344335323

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
85% of years
16°F or colder
50% 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
2,234
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,425
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,419
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,738
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,186
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,775
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,516

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January568790
February41011126
March25134284
April10093447
May14261712
June0442892
July05361,001
August0516981
September5358802
October85138522
November31520210
December48610120

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 9.5 km from Hinds 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 USC00226476 (Oakley Exp Stn). Public domain.