Morgan County climate

Morgan County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Versailles, 4.1 km from Morgan County, elevation 1003 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Versailles. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 202 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 7

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 8May 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 30Apr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 21
28°FApr 16Apr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9
24°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27
20°FMar 28Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16
16°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 19Feb 13Feb 5

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 3Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
32°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 25
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16
16°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 17Dec 21Dec 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°F200194189184179175170164156
32°F223216210206202198192184176
28°F248239233228223218214207198
24°F270262255250245240235229220
20°F292282276270264260254248240
16°F312301296289283278273265257

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
4,690
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,379
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,667
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,336
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,143
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,082
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,158

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04305
February821016
March601482
April29021230
May91106483
June8275717
July0412877
August1367831
September50159561
October26931267
November597366
December921010

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 4.1 km from Morgan County. 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 USC00238603 (Versailles). Public domain.