Edina Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Memphis. 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 April 23 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 176 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 3, first October 5
- Median at 32°F
- last April 23, first October 17
- Median at 28°F
- last April 11, first October 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 16 | May 11 | May 8 | May 5 | May 3 | May 1 | Apr 28 | Apr 24 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | May 6 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Apr 27 | Apr 21 | Apr 17 | Apr 14 | Apr 11 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 2 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F | Apr 17 | Apr 10 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 24 | Mar 20 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F | Apr 7 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 24 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 14 | Mar 10 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F | Mar 29 | Mar 22 | Mar 18 | Mar 14 | Mar 11 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 2 | Feb 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 173 | 167 | 163 | 158 | 155 | 151 | 148 | 143 | 135 |
| 32°F | 195 | 188 | 183 | 179 | 176 | 172 | 167 | 162 | 154 |
| 28°F | 216 | 210 | 205 | 201 | 197 | 193 | 189 | 184 | 177 |
| 24°F | 240 | 233 | 226 | 220 | 217 | 213 | 209 | 205 | 197 |
| 20°F | 261 | 253 | 247 | 242 | 238 | 233 | 228 | 223 | 214 |
| 16°F | 281 | 272 | 266 | 261 | 256 | 251 | 247 | 241 | 234 |
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
- 100% 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
- 6,149
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 958
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,521
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,357
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,317
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,400
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,612
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,297 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,049 | 0 | 3 |
| March | 801 | 1 | 36 |
| April | 438 | 6 | 125 |
| May | 174 | 59 | 360 |
| June | 21 | 201 | 630 |
| July | 2 | 315 | 778 |
| August | 6 | 260 | 719 |
| September | 94 | 101 | 461 |
| October | 383 | 14 | 175 |
| November | 764 | 0 | 28 |
| December | 1,121 | 0 | 3 |
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 32.2 km from Edina. 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 USC00235492 (Memphis). Public domain.