Olive Branch climate

Olive Branch Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Olive Branch, 0.9 km from Olive Branch, elevation 385 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Olive Branch. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 227 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 6, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 14, first November 17

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 24Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
32°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 5
28°FApr 2Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28Feb 23
24°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19Feb 11Feb 3
20°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 19Feb 11Feb 5Jan 31Jan 24Jan 13
16°FMar 1Feb 17Feb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 22Jan 16Jan 10Jan 1

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

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°F226219213209205201197191183
32°F252244237232227222217211203
28°F278268261255250245240233224
24°F309298291283277271264257248
20°F342331322314306301295287275
16°F365362352343336331322312303

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
82% 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
3,192
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,048
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,274
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,739
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,344
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,093
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,995

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January764134
February582257
March40312163
April16157360
May31208642
June0404853
July0510975
August0488953
September12278717
October14579408
November4217131
December674250

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 0.9 km from Olive Branch. 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 USC00226527 (Olive Branch). Public domain.