Cardwell climate

Cardwell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Paragould 1S, 18.5 km from Cardwell, elevation 270 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Paragould 1S. 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 5, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 13, 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 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
32°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 9
28°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
24°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 19Feb 10
20°FMar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 15Feb 9Feb 3Jan 26
16°FMar 2Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 8

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 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
32°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17Nov 23
28°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4
24°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 21
20°FNov 22Nov 30Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 9
16°FDec 7Dec 16Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 16Jan 28

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°F224218213209205202198193188
32°F249241235231227222218212205
28°F272264259254250245240234227
24°F298289283277272267262255248
20°F326317309303298293286278267
16°F355343335330323317310303294

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
94% 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
3,710
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,795
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,655
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,193
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,879
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,710
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,680

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January869015
February675029
March4825116
April19537311
May43170593
June1378826
July0477942
August0434899
September17236669
October17454357
November484499
December769024

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 18.5 km from Cardwell. 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 USC00035563 (Paragould 1S). Public domain.