Forsyth climate

Forsyth Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Forsyth, 0.7 km from Forsyth, elevation 2515 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Forsyth. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 29
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 8

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 31May 28May 25May 22May 19May 17May 15May 12May 8
32°FMay 21May 17May 14May 12May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 28
28°FMay 12May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
24°FMay 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
20°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17
16°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11Mar 4

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 6Sep 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10
28°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
24°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
20°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
16°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20

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°F139133130126122118114110104
32°F159153149145142139135131124
28°F182175171166162159154148142
24°F207199194190186181177171164
20°F230221215211206201197192184
16°F250241234229224219214208201

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
7,248
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
619
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,492
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,423
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,511
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,743
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,112

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33500
February1,09901
March89008
April569151
May29813215
June7886460
July9260716
August24215656
September17944329
October564271
November93305
December1,27100

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 0.7 km from Forsyth. 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 USC00243098 (Forsyth). Public domain.