Cato climate

Cato Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fulton, 21 km from Cato, elevation 360 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fulton. 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 April 27 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first November 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°FMay 21May 16May 13May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
28°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21
20°FApr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13
16°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 19Mar 16Mar 14Mar 10Mar 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 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21Oct 27
32°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
28°FOct 18Oct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15
16°FNov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 18Dec 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°F174166161157153149145139134
32°F198192188184180176170164156
28°F224217212208204201196191184
24°F246239234230226222218213207
20°F266259253249245241237233227
16°F282275271267263258254249242

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
6,848
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
523
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,547
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,474
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,538
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,734
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,054

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31400
February1,13300
March1,011010
April600254
May26028263
June5491488
July10179634
August16168617
September15353354
October4644101
November750017
December1,08401

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 21 km from Cato. 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 USC00303087 (Fulton). Public domain.