Big Sandy climate

Big Sandy Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Big Sandy, 6.3 km from Big Sandy, elevation 2770 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Big Sandy. 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 May 17 and the first fall freeze around September 25, a growing season of about 128 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 15
Median at 32°F
last May 17, first September 25
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 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°FJun 18Jun 11Jun 7Jun 3May 31May 28May 25May 21May 16
32°FJun 4May 29May 24May 19May 17May 15May 12May 8May 4
28°FMay 20May 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 20
24°FMay 8May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
20°FApr 28Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 20
16°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17Mar 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°FAug 31Sep 4Sep 8Sep 12Sep 15Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 29
32°FSep 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7
28°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
24°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28
20°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6
16°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 16

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°F124118114109105100969083
32°F147141136132128125120115107
28°F172164159156152148143139132
24°F196188182176172167163158151
20°F216209203198194190184178170
16°F234228221216212207202196187

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
7,690
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
456
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,143
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,097
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,205
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,461
Growing degree days, base 60°F
875

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,38600
February1,14001
March96108
April586150
May33511185
June12749375
July29192628
August42169593
September21534288
October603270
November97407
December1,29400

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 6.3 km from Big Sandy. 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 USC00240770 (Big Sandy). Public domain.