Oxford climate

Oxford Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oxford Ag, 1.9 km from Oxford, elevation 500 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oxford Ag. 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 222 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 17, first November 20

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 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 27
32°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16
28°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
24°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 12
20°FMar 9Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 15Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 20
16°FFeb 26Feb 17Feb 8Feb 2Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 15Jan 7

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 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
32°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 25
28°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 10
24°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 27Jan 3
20°FDec 1Dec 9Dec 17Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 14Jan 24
16°FDec 14Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 15Jan 21Jan 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°F218211207203199196191186177
32°F244236231226222218214210202
28°F278269261256250245240235227
24°F310302295288282276270261252
20°F339330323315308304298292281
16°F365365355346339334327316307

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
80% 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
3,574
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,551
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,425
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,931
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,592
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,413
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,399

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January800024
February640030
March4855112
April21738293
May60138543
June6315759
July0442907
August0386851
September24189615
October19436319
November4563104
December694136

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 1.9 km from Oxford. 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 USC00316510 (Oxford Ag). Public domain.