Forsyth climate

Forsyth Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ozark Beach, 1.6 km from Forsyth, elevation 834 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ozark Beach. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 205 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 10

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°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 4
32°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
28°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 7
24°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24
20°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 8
16°FMar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 23

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 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
32°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9Nov 15
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 30
24°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
20°FNov 13Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21Dec 27
16°FNov 27Dec 5Dec 11Dec 16Dec 22Dec 26Dec 31Jan 4Jan 13

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°F203197192187183179174170164
32°F229220215210205202198192185
28°F256245238234229225219214207
24°F280271264260254248243236229
20°F308299290283278273267261252
16°F334325317311305299291284272

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
99% 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
3,997
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,544
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,154
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,725
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,455
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,339
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,367

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January904010
February699019
March519394
April24325261
May70117513
June4315760
July0443908
August1400865
September28201623
October21538306
November514380
December801017

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 1.6 km from Forsyth. 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 USC00236460 (Ozark Beach). Public domain.