Gibson climate

Gibson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mccoll 3 Nnw, 7.1 km from Gibson, elevation 190 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mccoll 3 Nnw. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 8, a growing season of about 228 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 8
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 21

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 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
32°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 9
28°FApr 1Mar 25Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18
24°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 10Feb 3Jan 24
20°FMar 5Feb 24Feb 15Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 15Jan 4
16°FFeb 11Feb 3Jan 30Jan 26Jan 22Jan 17Jan 12Jan 3Dec 27

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 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
32°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 27
28°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 14
24°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 22Dec 31Jan 9
20°FDec 2Dec 8Dec 16Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 15Jan 25
16°FDec 11Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 14Jan 19Jan 24Jan 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°F227220215210207203199194188
32°F253244238233228224219215209
28°F288275267260255249244237229
24°F325311303297290284275265254
20°F362348338333326317308299287
16°F365365365365356347339333322

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
91% of years
16°F or colder
63% 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
2,594
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,023
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,675
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,038
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,548
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,206
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,029

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January627158
February473379
March33017210
April11978415
May23209651
June1394843
July0501966
August0450914
September7278721
October11278435
November34311176
December560479

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 7.1 km from Gibson. 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 USC00385633 (Mccoll 3 Nnw). Public domain.