Wayne County climate

Wayne County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Waynesboro 2 W, 4.7 km from Wayne County, elevation 200 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Waynesboro 2 W. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 237 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 1, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 17, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first November 23

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

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

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°F236228222217213208203197190
32°F268257250243237232227219210
28°F302289280274268262256248236
24°F342329318309303295287276265
20°F365365356345337331321309298
16°F365365365365365365355341327

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
76% of years
16°F or colder
37% 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
2,194
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,281
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,289
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,597
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,033
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,618
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,363

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January542591
February3978123
March24831277
April9787443
May15241691
June0420870
July0505970
August0498962
September4343789
October90117495
November31119205
December4899117

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 4.7 km from Wayne County. 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 USC00229439 (Waynesboro 2 W). Public domain.