Fletcher climate

Fletcher Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Asheville Rgnl AP, 3.3 km from Fletcher, elevation 2117 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Asheville Rgnl AP. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 201 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 9, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 8

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 9May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 7
32°FApr 27Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 22
28°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14Mar 6
24°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 17
20°FMar 19Mar 12Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 17Feb 11Feb 5Jan 30
16°FMar 7Feb 28Feb 18Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 9

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

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°F197191186181178173169164157
32°F222215211205201197192187180
28°F252243238232228222218213205
24°F285274266260255250245239230
20°F324311303296290283276267257
16°F355345337332326318309300286

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
94% 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
3,841
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,049
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,673
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,201
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,901
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,781
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,831

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January814014
February643022
March515188
April25414235
May8476459
June9213654
July0313778
August0279744
September34133549
October23919264
November517170
December732025

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 3.3 km from Fletcher. 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 USW00003812 (Asheville Rgnl AP). Public domain.