Terry climate

Terry Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Terry, 0.8 km from Terry, elevation 2250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Terry. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 23, first September 18
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 5

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 6May 31May 29May 25May 23May 20May 17May 15May 11
32°FMay 25May 20May 17May 15May 12May 10May 7May 4Apr 30
28°FMay 15May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 17
24°FMay 5May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7
20°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 12

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 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Oct 1
32°FSep 13Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18
24°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
20°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 7
16°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F13612912512111711411010598
32°F154148145140137133129124118
28°F174168163159156152148144137
24°F195188183179175171166160153
20°F217210203199195191187182173
16°F237229222217214209204199192

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
7,828
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
673
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,436
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,419
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,534
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,784
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,163

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,48000
February1,19701
March966010
April599151
May31617212
June8496464
July13270722
August30232667
September18954335
October595370
November99303
December1,36500

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 0.8 km from Terry. 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 USC00248165 (Terry). Public domain.