Ozark County climate

Ozark County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dora 3SE, 23.4 km from Ozark County, elevation 966 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dora 3SE. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 196 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 25, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 9, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 2

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

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 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
32°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 20
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 6Nov 14Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
16°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26Jan 3

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°F194186181177173168164158150
32°F217210205200196191186180171
28°F242233228223219215210204195
24°F267258252247242237232225216
20°F293284278271266261255249241
16°F324312305297291286280273263

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
4,210
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,327
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,809
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,413
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,162
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,062
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,117

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January927011
February716022
March543489
April24724254
May8791470
June7257700
July0397862
August2361825
September41164573
October25526263
November544275
December842017

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 23.4 km from Ozark 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 USC00232302 (Dora 3SE). Public domain.