Columbus County climate

Columbus County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Whiteville 7 Nw, 20.4 km from Columbus County, elevation 90 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Whiteville 7 Nw. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 224 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 8, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 29, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 14, first November 17

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 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24
32°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 8
28°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21
24°FMar 19Mar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 22Feb 16Feb 8Jan 31
20°FMar 5Feb 26Feb 16Feb 9Feb 2Jan 30Jan 23Jan 17Jan 6
16°FFeb 16Feb 4Jan 31Jan 28Jan 22Jan 17Jan 13Jan 6Dec 29

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 17Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
32°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 23
28°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 9
24°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7Dec 14Dec 24Jan 2
20°FNov 25Dec 3Dec 11Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14Jan 24
16°FDec 12Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 18Jan 24Feb 1

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°F224216212207204199196191185
32°F247239233228224220216211204
28°F276267261254250245239233224
24°F317306298289281274268260249
20°F358344334327319310304296282
16°F365365365365355347339331321

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
60% 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
2,913
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,763
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,148
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,557
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,114
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,832
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,713

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January672149
February539255
March38810168
April16447343
May36163592
June2346793
July0459924
August0409874
September10251691
October13464402
November3819151
December588371

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 20.4 km from Columbus County. 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 USC00319357 (Whiteville 7 Nw). Public domain.