New Bern climate

New Bern Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New Bern Craven CO AP, 4.6 km from New Bern, elevation 19 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New Bern Craven CO AP. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around November 15, a growing season of about 237 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 3
Median at 32°F
last March 23, first November 15
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 28

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 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
32°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12Mar 6
28°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 26Feb 20
24°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 13Feb 5Jan 29
20°FMar 4Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Feb 2Jan 30Jan 23Jan 15Jan 5
16°FFeb 18Feb 6Jan 31Jan 28Jan 22Jan 17Jan 13Jan 6Dec 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 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
32°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Dec 1
28°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 21
24°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 20Dec 29Jan 3Jan 9
20°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 23Dec 29Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 17Jan 29
16°FDec 23Dec 31Jan 3Jan 7Jan 13Jan 16Jan 22Jan 28Feb 5

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°F236228223218215211207202196
32°F263253247241237233228222216
28°F295283275268262258253246238
24°F330318309302295290283274265
20°F365353343334328320312305294
16°F365365365365362352343334321

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
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
2,698
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,897
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,461
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,831
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,349
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,029
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,878

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January639259
February504471
March37913171
April15456360
May33175606
June1359808
July0477942
August0432897
September5280724
October10883443
November33511176
December541590

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 4.6 km from New Bern. 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 USW00093719 (New Bern Craven CO AP). Public domain.