Avery Creek climate

Avery Creek Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fletcher 3 W, 4.8 km from Avery Creek, elevation 2070 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fletcher 3 W. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 1

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 15May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
32°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 1
28°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
24°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 1
20°FMar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20Feb 11
16°FMar 15Mar 7Mar 1Feb 24Feb 17Feb 10Feb 5Jan 30Jan 21

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 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 23
16°FNov 21Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23Dec 29Jan 3Jan 13

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°F185178173168164160156151144
32°F207200195191186181177172165
28°F232224219214210206201197190
24°F262252245240235230225219213
20°F298287278272264258253247238
16°F334323313306299293286278264

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
99% 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
4,381
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
822
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,061
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,668
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,452
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,411
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,535

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January89009
February714012
March594059
April3177183
May11951401
June16164598
July2262725
August2232694
September5195494
October29811212
November579048
December800016

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 4.8 km from Avery Creek. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00313106 (Fletcher 3 W). Public domain.