Biscoe climate

Biscoe Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jackson Springs 5 Wnw, 21.7 km from Biscoe, elevation 730 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jackson Springs 5 Wnw. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around November 14, a growing season of about 235 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first November 14
Median at 28°F
last March 11, first November 29

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 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
32°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 6
28°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19
24°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 21Feb 14Feb 5Jan 28
20°FMar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 13Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 21Jan 11
16°FFeb 23Feb 9Feb 2Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 15Jan 9Dec 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 20Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
32°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 4
28°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13Dec 23
24°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 10
20°FDec 6Dec 14Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 17Jan 27
16°FDec 14Dec 25Dec 31Jan 5Jan 10Jan 14Jan 19Jan 25Feb 2

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°F233226221216212208204199193
32°F260251246240235230225219212
28°F293282274267263256250243234
24°F326316306300292287281273262
20°F357342334328321314308301286
16°F365365363354345338333325311

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
94% of years
16°F or colder
70% 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
3,039
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,779
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,077
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,505
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,079
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,813
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,710

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January710040
February555255
March40610158
April16953348
May43171593
June3350796
July0462927
August0414879
September13248685
October14360388
November3848149
December613261

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 21.7 km from Biscoe. 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 USC00314464 (Jackson Springs 5 Wnw). Public domain.