Alexander County climate

Alexander County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Taylorsville, 0.5 km from Alexander County, elevation 1320 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Taylorsville. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around November 4, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 4
Median at 28°F
last March 20, first November 15

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 6Apr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
32°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 1
24°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 22Feb 12
20°FMar 15Mar 7Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2Jan 26
16°FMar 3Feb 22Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 13Jan 3

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°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
32°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 19
28°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30Dec 5
24°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 24
20°FNov 23Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 11
16°FDec 4Dec 11Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 17Jan 27

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°F213206201197193189183178171
32°F241232226221217212208204197
28°F269259252246241237231225218
24°F301290282275270264258251242
20°F333323314306300292285276265
16°F365351342335328321311303292

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
92% 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
3,694
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,265
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,023
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,542
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,221
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,063
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,080

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January808018
February640024
March4894108
April23624263
May7597487
June8260702
July1363828
August0326790
September27164587
October20926296
November477191
December726027

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 0.5 km from Alexander County. 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 USC00318519 (Taylorsville). Public domain.