Stuart climate

Stuart Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Atkinson 3SW, 13.2 km from Stuart, elevation 2128 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Atkinson 3SW. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 13

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 27May 22May 19May 16May 14May 11May 9May 6May 2
32°FMay 18May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 25Apr 20
28°FMay 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
16°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 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 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16
28°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24
24°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 4
20°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
16°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23

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°F152147142139135132129124117
32°F171164160156152149146140134
28°F190183178175170166163158151
24°F209202197192188185180175169
20°F230222216211206202198193186
16°F247239234229225219214209200

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
7,164
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
755
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,838
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,768
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,827
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,009
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,317

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36100
February1,14201
March935015
April579371
May26431269
June49140542
July7281739
August18217663
September13979400
October5125110
November891016
December1,26901

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 13.2 km from Stuart. 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 USC00250420 (Atkinson 3SW). Public domain.