Anson County climate

Anson County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wadesboro, 2.9 km from Anson County, elevation 480 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wadesboro. 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 March 24 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 231 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 24, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 10, first November 22

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°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
32°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 6
28°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 2Feb 25Feb 17
24°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 5Jan 30
20°FMar 5Feb 25Feb 17Feb 8Feb 2Jan 31Jan 26Jan 17Jan 7
16°FFeb 20Feb 8Feb 1Jan 30Jan 25Jan 19Jan 14Jan 6Dec 31

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 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
32°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 29
28°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2Dec 6Dec 15
24°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 25Jan 1Jan 8
20°FDec 3Dec 11Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 17Jan 27
16°FDec 15Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 15Jan 20Jan 26Feb 4

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°F229223217213209205201195189
32°F256247241236231227222217209
28°F287277270263257252247240231
24°F323313304298291284277267256
20°F360347337331325316308302290
16°F365365365361351343335328314

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
93% of years
16°F or colder
64% 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
2,997
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,835
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,147
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,570
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,140
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,874
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,772

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January704035
February550151
March39110164
April16055355
May37175603
June3361808
July0480945
August0431896
September11255694
October13758393
November3897143
December616252

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 2.9 km from Anson 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 USC00318964 (Wadesboro). Public domain.