Kenly climate

Kenly Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wilson 3 Sw, 19.4 km from Kenly, elevation 110 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wilson 3 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 22 and the first fall freeze around November 12, a growing season of about 236 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 3, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 22, first November 12
Median at 28°F
last March 7, first November 26

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 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
32°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 3
28°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 12
24°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 7Feb 1Jan 23
20°FMar 2Feb 23Feb 12Feb 6Feb 1Jan 28Jan 21Jan 15Jan 5
16°FFeb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 24Jan 20Jan 15Jan 9Jan 3

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 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
32°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25Dec 1
28°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 20
24°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 3Dec 9Dec 15Dec 23Dec 29Jan 4Jan 13
20°FDec 4Dec 15Dec 25Dec 31Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 21Feb 1
16°FDec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 13Jan 18Jan 23Jan 28Feb 3

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°F234225220217213210205200194
32°F263253246241236231226220213
28°F295285277271265258252245236
24°F335320311304298291285277265
20°F365356346338330324314306296
16°F365365365365363353344334324

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
90% of years
16°F or colder
56% 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
3,062
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,842
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,096
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,525
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,108
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,854
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,765

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January702141
February566249
March42410145
April17550337
May45169589
June3359805
July0485950
August0433897
September10260700
October14063393
November3887142
December609359

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 19.4 km from Kenly. 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 USC00319476 (Wilson 3 Sw). Public domain.