Long Beach climate

Long Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Southport 5 N, 13.9 km from Long Beach, elevation 20 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Southport 5 N. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around November 17, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 24, first November 17
Median at 28°F
last March 8, first December 1

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 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17
32°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 1
28°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 19Feb 7
24°FMar 18Mar 9Mar 3Feb 26Feb 18Feb 11Feb 2Jan 27Jan 14
20°FMar 6Feb 27Feb 14Feb 5Jan 31Jan 24Jan 18Jan 9Dec 29
16°FFeb 19Feb 3Jan 29Jan 24Jan 18Jan 13Jan 9Dec 30Dec 19

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 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
32°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1Dec 6
28°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 30
24°FNov 26Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 9Jan 21
20°FDec 4Dec 10Dec 17Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 14Jan 20Feb 4
16°FDec 9Dec 18Dec 27Jan 1Jan 8Jan 13Jan 17Jan 25Feb 4

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°F238230224220215210206201194
32°F268258251245239233228221213
28°F303291281274268261255248239
24°F340329318309301293286278266
20°F365361348340334328318306293
16°F365365365365365356348339331

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
82% of years
16°F or colder
46% 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
2,203
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,232
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,221
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,520
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,948
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,535
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,294

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January538489
February421394
March31317214
April11869404
May17211659
June0411861
July0533998
August0490955
September2340787
October71122518
November26326246
December4598123

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 13.9 km from Long Beach. 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 USC00318113 (Southport 5 N). Public domain.