Arlington climate

Arlington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elkin, 4.1 km from Arlington, elevation 910 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elkin. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 194 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 4

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 14May 9May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
28°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 17
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
20°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14
16°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3Jan 23

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 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27Dec 5
20°FNov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 25
16°FNov 21Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 22Dec 27Jan 1Jan 10

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°F193185181177173169165160153
32°F213206201197194190186181173
28°F239232226222217213210205198
24°F266256250244239235230225217
20°F298287279273266260254247239
16°F330319310303297290283274262

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
4,358
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,094
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,354
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,975
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,775
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,736
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,844

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January90405
February746010
March605165
April3129187
May9968436
June5219664
July0338803
August1294758
September39145557
October27420234
November566046
December808010

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 4.1 km from Arlington. 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 USC00312740 (Elkin). Public domain.