Foscoe climate

Foscoe Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Banner Elk, 9.7 km from Foscoe, elevation 3770 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Banner Elk. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 23

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 27May 23May 18May 14May 12May 9May 6May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 17May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 12
28°FMay 5Apr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 30
24°FApr 20Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16
20°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 16

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°FSep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
24°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 12Nov 19
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 2
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 20

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°F166159154150145141137132126
32°F188181175171167163158153146
28°F211204199195192187182176169
24°F237227222218213208205199193
20°F263253246240235230225219210
16°F290279271264259254248241230

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
5,690
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
268
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,697
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,455
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,395
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,505
Growing degree days, base 60°F
784

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04802
February87105
March763023
April466198
May2368260
June5952443
July16103552
August2480521
September13022346
October4342116
November703023
December93906

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 9.7 km from Foscoe. 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 USC00310506 (Banner Elk). Public domain.