Peletier climate

Peletier Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newport/morehead City WFO, 19.6 km from Peletier, elevation 30 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newport/morehead City WFO. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 16, a growing season of about 236 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 16
Median at 28°F
last March 12, first November 29

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 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21
32°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 5
28°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 16
24°FMar 18Mar 10Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15Feb 8Feb 2Jan 25
20°FMar 1Feb 22Feb 10Feb 2Jan 29Jan 25Jan 19Jan 12Jan 2
16°FFeb 11Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 17Jan 13Jan 8Jan 2Dec 28

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 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
32°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2
28°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 24
24°FNov 22Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14Dec 22Dec 28Jan 2Jan 12
20°FDec 5Dec 12Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 11Jan 18Jan 28
16°FDec 14Dec 26Jan 1Jan 4Jan 8Jan 12Jan 16Jan 22Jan 29

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°F235227221216213209205201193
32°F260251245240236231226220212
28°F295282274267261256250243237
24°F332319308302294287279271259
20°F365356346338333326317306295
16°F365365365365361351343336327

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
88% of years
16°F or colder
57% 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
2,785
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,712
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,208
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,591
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,114
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,803
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,669

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January652155
February523164
March4045145
April17332317
May40147572
June1316765
July0439904
August0414879
September5263708
October11081438
November33511175
December542393

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 19.6 km from Peletier. 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 USC00316096 (Newport/morehead City WFO). Public domain.