Florida climate

Florida Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Middletown 2 Nw, 16.2 km from Florida, elevation 700 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Middletown 2 Nw. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first November 2

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 18May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10
16°FMar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 1

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 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 18Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16
24°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 22Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 11Dec 15Dec 21Dec 28

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°F178172167163159156151146139
32°F202196190186182178174168161
28°F224218214210206202198192184
24°F247240235231227223220215207
20°F271263257253249244240235227
16°F291284279274268264259253246

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
6,163
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
633
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,975
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,825
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,813
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,933
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,204

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21000
February1,04400
March893010
April498588
May20932297
June45124529
July4230691
August12182635
September10656402
October3934137
November708020
December1,04202

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 16.2 km from Florida. 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 USC00305310 (Middletown 2 Nw). Public domain.