Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Candler 1 W, 12.6 km from Canton, elevation 2240 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Candler 1 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 22
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 18May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 7May 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
28°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19
24°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9Mar 3
20°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 14
16°FMar 16Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Feb 3Jan 26

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 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Dec 28Jan 5

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°F184178173168163160155150142
32°F206199194190185180176171163
28°F230223217213209205200195187
24°F258251244239234229225218211
20°F288279273268262256251245237
16°F327315306299293286280272262

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
4,345
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
751
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,038
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,634
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,406
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,352
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,465

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January885012
February707016
March580164
April3158188
May11844394
June17149582
July1243707
August2205668
September5389486
October29110217
November575153
December798019

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 12.6 km from Canton. 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 USC00311420 (Candler 1 W). Public domain.