Norborne Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Carrollton. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 187 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 27, first October 12
- Median at 32°F
- last April 16, first October 23
- Median at 28°F
- last April 4, first November 1
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 9 | May 5 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 17 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | May 1 | Apr 27 | Apr 23 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Apr 21 | Apr 15 | Apr 11 | Apr 8 | Apr 4 | Apr 1 | Mar 30 | Mar 26 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F | Apr 9 | Apr 4 | Mar 31 | Mar 29 | Mar 26 | Mar 21 | Mar 18 | Mar 13 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Mar 26 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 14 | Mar 10 | Mar 7 | Mar 3 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F | Mar 22 | Mar 16 | Mar 12 | Mar 8 | Mar 6 | Mar 2 | Feb 28 | Feb 24 | Feb 18 |
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 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 |
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 | 184 | 180 | 175 | 171 | 166 | 162 | 158 | 153 | 147 |
| 32°F | 207 | 201 | 196 | 192 | 187 | 184 | 179 | 174 | 166 |
| 28°F | 231 | 223 | 218 | 213 | 210 | 205 | 201 | 196 | 188 |
| 24°F | 253 | 244 | 239 | 234 | 229 | 225 | 221 | 216 | 207 |
| 20°F | 274 | 266 | 260 | 254 | 250 | 245 | 241 | 234 | 228 |
| 16°F | 294 | 284 | 279 | 273 | 268 | 264 | 257 | 251 | 243 |
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
- 5,336
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,254
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 6,204
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,956
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,838
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,849
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,986
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,168 | 0 | 1 |
| February | 928 | 0 | 6 |
| March | 691 | 1 | 54 |
| April | 357 | 12 | 176 |
| May | 117 | 89 | 441 |
| June | 8 | 266 | 708 |
| July | 1 | 388 | 852 |
| August | 2 | 333 | 797 |
| September | 62 | 141 | 531 |
| October | 314 | 22 | 224 |
| November | 670 | 1 | 43 |
| December | 1,018 | 0 | 4 |
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 17.4 km from Norborne. 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 USC00231340 (Carrollton). Public domain.