Licking climate

Licking Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Licking 4N, 6.5 km from Licking, elevation 1180 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Licking 4N. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 181 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first October 29

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 16May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 14
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 2
28°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
24°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 6
20°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13

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°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 12
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 22

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°F182174168164160156151145138
32°F203196190186181177172166158
28°F228219214209205200195189181
24°F254245238234229224218211203
20°F276270262257251247241236226
16°F300290283276271266262255246

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
4,773
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,272
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,472
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,150
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,972
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,929
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,029

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03407
February809018
March622374
April31122218
May11194452
June12249687
July1382846
August3344806
September61150540
October29027247
November603264
December916013

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 6.5 km from Licking. 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 USC00234919 (Licking 4N). Public domain.