Oxford climate

Oxford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oxford 6NNW, 9.1 km from Oxford, elevation 2242 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oxford 6NNW. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 161 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 18

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 22May 17May 14May 11May 9May 7May 5May 2Apr 30
32°FMay 12May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 8
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14
16°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5

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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
28°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
24°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
16°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25

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°F159153150147143139135131125
32°F178173168165161157153148143
28°F197191186182179175171166159
24°F217210205200196192189184176
20°F237228223218213209205199193
16°F255247240235231227222216208

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
6,241
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
979
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,415
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,262
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,243
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,352
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,600

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22600
February1,00103
March785031
April4795106
May20551328
June28205627
July3340801
August8264721
September107105455
October42610153
November812018
December1,16401

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 9.1 km from Oxford. 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 USC00256454 (Oxford 6NNW). Public domain.