Richton climate

Richton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beaumont Expstation, 12.8 km from Richton, elevation 194 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beaumont Expstation. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around November 12, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 1, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 18, first November 12
Median at 28°F
last March 2, first November 26

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

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 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
32°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
28°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13Dec 28
24°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 17Dec 28Jan 2Jan 10Jan 21
20°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 22Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 17Jan 27Feb 5
16°FDec 17Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 16Jan 22Feb 1Feb 7

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°F239231225219216211207201193
32°F268257250244239233228222215
28°F302290280273267262255248239
24°F337326317309302295287277265
20°F365365351342334328320309298
16°F365365365365365364353339329

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
97% of years
20°F or colder
78% of years
16°F or colder
38% 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
1,987
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,501
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,699
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,986
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,393
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,939
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,636

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5166105
February36311146
March22438305
April8098470
May9272729
June0451901
July0530995
August0524989
September2384832
October72148543
November27226241
December45112138

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 12.8 km from Richton. 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 USC00220585 (Beaumont Expstation). Public domain.