Fulton climate

Fulton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fulton, 0.5 km from Fulton, elevation 770 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fulton. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 195 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 4

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 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
32°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 26
28°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15
24°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 2
20°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22
16°FMar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 19Feb 11

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 1Oct 5Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 18Dec 23

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°F192184179175172168163158150
32°F215208202199195190186180173
28°F237231225220217213209204197
24°F263254249243239235230224216
20°F282274268263259255249243235
16°F302293287281276271265260252

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
5,281
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,083
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,031
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,771
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,645
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,657
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,798

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14102
February89609
March686260
April35416183
May13570405
June16213646
July2332795
August4303764
September68128512
October32218213
November661148
December99708

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 0.5 km from Fulton. 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 USC00233079 (Fulton). Public domain.