Randolph County climate

Randolph County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Asheboro 2 W, 2.9 km from Randolph County, elevation 870 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Asheboro 2 W. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 207 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last March 24, first November 10

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°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 5
32°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 18
28°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 5
24°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 18
20°FMar 18Mar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 8Feb 2Jan 24
16°FMar 4Feb 25Feb 16Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 16Jan 4

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 8Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
32°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
28°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 28
24°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9Dec 20
20°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18Dec 26Jan 2Jan 12
16°FDec 4Dec 12Dec 18Dec 26Jan 1Jan 6Jan 12Jan 17Jan 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°F203197192187183179175171164
32°F231223217211207203199194187
28°F258251244238232227222215209
24°F294283276269261256250244233
20°F329316309301294287281272261
16°F359347339334327319313305294

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
92% 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
3,539
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,388
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,279
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,777
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,434
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,249
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,235

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January784024
February612038
March4626128
April21235292
May65115515
June6276720
July0392857
August1348812
September25178603
October20433308
November472398
December695139

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 2.9 km from Randolph 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 USC00310286 (Asheboro 2 W). Public domain.