Broadus climate

Broadus Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Broadus, 0.3 km from Broadus, elevation 3032 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Broadus. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 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°FJun 8Jun 2May 30May 27May 24May 21May 18May 16May 12
32°FMay 29May 24May 20May 18May 16May 13May 9May 6May 2
28°FMay 18May 13May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
24°FMay 7May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 27Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 20
16°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 13Mar 9

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 4Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29Oct 3
32°FSep 13Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
28°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
24°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
20°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
16°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19

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°F13513012512011611210910396
32°F155149144140135131127121113
28°F175169163159155152148142135
24°F200192186181177173169162154
20°F223215209205200194190184176
16°F245236230224218213208201193

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
6,871
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
779
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,824
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,728
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,783
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,981
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,314

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26800
February1,05401
March850016
April551164
May28720235
June64114501
July7311768
August18261708
September14668383
October5105100
November89507
December1,22100

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 0.3 km from Broadus. 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 USC00241127 (Broadus). Public domain.