Conover climate

Conover Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Catawba 5 Sw, 10 km from Conover, elevation 1015 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Catawba 5 Sw. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 230 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 24, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 13, first November 20

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 29Apr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
32°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12Mar 5
28°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 20
24°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 9Feb 1
20°FMar 11Mar 3Feb 24Feb 16Feb 9Feb 3Jan 30Jan 24Jan 13
16°FFeb 28Feb 18Feb 7Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 17Jan 13Jan 1

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 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11
32°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20Nov 26
28°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 10
24°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 23Jan 2
20°FDec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 24Dec 29Jan 2Jan 10Jan 19
16°FDec 11Dec 19Dec 26Dec 30Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 20Jan 31

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°F227220216211206202197191182
32°F255246239234230224220214207
28°F285275268261255249243237228
24°F318306298291284277270262252
20°F346335328321312306299291280
16°F365358350343336330322312302

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
86% 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
3,297
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,556
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,621
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,070
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,680
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,467
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,428

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January750023
February592140
March4317134
April17733316
May50147561
June0315765
July0425890
August1379843
September22207634
October16842347
November437194
December668033

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 10 km from Conover. 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 USC00311578 (Catawba 5 Sw). Public domain.