Lillington climate

Lillington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lillington, 1 km from Lillington, elevation 150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lillington. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 223 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 12, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 14, first November 17

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 1Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 26
32°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
28°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21
24°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 8Feb 1
20°FMar 8Mar 1Feb 23Feb 13Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 20Jan 11
16°FFeb 22Feb 8Feb 1Jan 30Jan 24Jan 20Jan 14Jan 7Dec 31

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 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
32°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17Nov 24
28°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 9
24°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 24Jan 4
20°FNov 28Dec 6Dec 14Dec 22Dec 29Jan 2Jan 8Jan 15Jan 26
16°FDec 15Dec 26Dec 31Jan 5Jan 10Jan 15Jan 20Jan 26Feb 1

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°F220213207203199195191187180
32°F247239233228223218213208201
28°F278270261255249244239233225
24°F316305295288281275267260249
20°F353339331324317309303293279
16°F365365365357347338333324313

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
71% 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
3,324
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,676
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,725
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,189
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,809
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,602
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,562

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January745023
February609040
March43810138
April20039306
May47152570
June1321770
July0460925
August0406871
September10233673
October16250359
November446497
December666037

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 1 km from Lillington. 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 USC00314987 (Lillington). Public domain.