Latimer climate

Latimer Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Biloxi, 20.3 km from Latimer, elevation 10 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Biloxi. 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 February 12 and the first fall freeze around December 14, a growing season of about 301 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 1, first November 26
Median at 32°F
last February 12, first December 14
Median at 28°F
last January 27, first January 2

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°FMar 20Mar 15Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 15Feb 6
32°FMar 11Mar 3Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 18
28°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 15Jan 9Jan 2
24°FFeb 14Feb 2Jan 27Jan 23Jan 19Jan 15Jan 10Jan 5Dec 31
20°FFeb 10Jan 30Jan 24Jan 21Jan 16Jan 13Jan 9Jan 6Jan 3
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 23
32°FNov 16Nov 26Dec 2Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Dec 29Jan 3Jan 11
28°FDec 2Dec 14Dec 25Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 16Jan 27
24°FDec 24Dec 31Jan 3Jan 6Jan 10Jan 14Jan 18Jan 22Feb 1
20°FJan 1Jan 4Jan 7Jan 10Jan 14Jan 18Jan 21Jan 26Feb 6
16°F–––––––––

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°F302290283276270264259250242
32°F336325318308301294287278265
28°F365359349342335329320307296
24°F365365365365365357348339328
20°F365365365365365365365365349
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
87% of years
24°F or colder
50% of years
20°F or colder
18% of years
16°F or colder
4% 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
1,458
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,754
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,442
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,668
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,974
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,402
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,984

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4153139
February2818184
March15643362
April41134543
May2329792
June0477927
July05431,008
August05431,008
September0426876
October32202636
November18339320
December3478179

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 20.3 km from Latimer. 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 USC00220792 (Biloxi). Public domain.