Henderson climate

Henderson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Henderson 2 Nnw, 2.4 km from Henderson, elevation 480 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Henderson 2 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 April 16 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 193 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 4

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 13May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13
32°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Mar 31
28°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
24°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10Mar 2
20°FMar 28Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 13
16°FMar 16Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16Feb 8Feb 2Jan 26

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 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15Nov 20
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18Dec 31
16°FNov 27Dec 3Dec 10Dec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 6Jan 13Jan 21

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°F191185181177174170165159153
32°F214206201197193189186181173
28°F240231225221217212207202195
24°F267259252246240236231225218
20°F302293284277272265258252242
16°F335325315308303296289282272

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
99% 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
3,890
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,440
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,071
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,623
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,341
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,217
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,252

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January831019
February682025
March536592
April25533258
May78118506
June8288730
July0415880
August1356820
September29188609
October22834290
November503284
December740027

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 2.4 km from Henderson. 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 USC00313969 (Henderson 2 Nnw). Public domain.