Light Oak climate

Light Oak Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Shelby 2 Nw, 9 km from Light Oak, elevation 820 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Shelby 2 Nw. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 195 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 25, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 2

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 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
32°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 27
28°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 13
24°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
20°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 5
16°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 26Jan 15

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 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
32°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5
28°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2
20°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14Dec 29
16°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 17

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°F192186182178174170165160154
32°F215207202199195190186181173
28°F240233227222217213208204196
24°F271261255249242238232227218
20°F304294285278272266259253244
16°F340330319310303298290281270

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
3,559
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,459
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,308
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,808
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,472
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,305
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,302

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January783019
February617130
March4674116
April21630283
May62125529
June5293738
July0411876
August0368832
September24194621
October20332309
November479289
December706031

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 km from Light Oak. 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 USC00317845 (Shelby 2 Nw). Public domain.