Pender County climate

Pender County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Willard 4 Sw, 21.6 km from Pender County, elevation 55 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Willard 4 Sw. 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 April 2 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 217 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last April 2, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 20, first November 15

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 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 30
32°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21Mar 15
28°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Feb 26
24°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13Feb 4
20°FMar 10Mar 2Feb 26Feb 16Feb 8Feb 3Jan 30Jan 22Jan 12
16°FFeb 21Feb 6Jan 31Jan 29Jan 25Jan 19Jan 13Jan 6Dec 29

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 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
32°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 21
28°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 30Dec 6
24°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10Dec 18Jan 1
20°FNov 25Dec 2Dec 8Dec 14Dec 23Dec 30Jan 4Jan 10Jan 18
16°FDec 8Dec 17Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 16Jan 22Jan 30

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°F214209204200195192188183177
32°F240231226221217213209203195
28°F273261254248243238231225218
24°F309299289282275268259252243
20°F345335327319310304297288277
16°F365365360351344337332322309

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
78% 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
2,833
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,624
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,070
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,462
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,999
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,694
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,569

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January659048
February508263
March3758169
April15844345
May40150575
June3321768
July0423888
August0383848
September10226666
October13658395
November3738158
December573277

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 21.6 km from Pender County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00319423 (Willard 4 Sw). Public domain.