Nicholson climate

Nicholson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Picayune, 6.7 km from Nicholson, elevation 64 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Picayune. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around November 18, a growing season of about 255 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 26, first November 7
Median at 32°F
last March 9, first November 18
Median at 28°F
last February 24, first December 3

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 16Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10Mar 3
32°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17
28°FMar 16Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 4Jan 27
24°FMar 4Feb 26Feb 17Feb 9Feb 3Jan 30Jan 21Jan 13Dec 31
20°FFeb 24Feb 10Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 3Dec 26
16°FFeb 11Feb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 16Jan 10Jan 4Dec 31Dec 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 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 27
32°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3Dec 11
28°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 24Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15Dec 28Jan 7
24°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 8Dec 17Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14Jan 29
20°FDec 9Dec 19Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 12Jan 19Jan 26Feb 6
16°FDec 18Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 17Jan 24Jan 31Feb 8

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°F256246238231226221215209202
32°F287276267261255249242235226
28°F322310303293286279273265254
24°F364345335329321313306297285
20°F365365365365356347337328314
16°F365365365365365365365359339

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
90% of years
20°F or colder
60% of years
16°F or colder
25% 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
1,820
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,351
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,700
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,962
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,325
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,831
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,501

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January4756119
February3419146
March20533311
April77100474
May10253708
June0408858
July0496961
August0496961
September2361808
October62151556
November24427258
December40313165

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 6.7 km from Nicholson. 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 USC00226921 (Picayune). Public domain.