Rockfish climate

Rockfish Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Raeford, 13.9 km from Rockfish, elevation 250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Raeford. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 214 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 16, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 3, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 22, first November 13

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 1Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 19Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 1
24°FMar 29Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 23Feb 14
20°FMar 16Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 23Feb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 28
16°FMar 4Feb 24Feb 16Feb 8Feb 3Jan 30Jan 24Jan 16Jan 3

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 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
32°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
28°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 12Dec 26
20°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14Dec 23Dec 30Jan 5Jan 14
16°FDec 4Dec 14Dec 24Jan 1Jan 3Jan 9Jan 14Jan 21Feb 3

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°F212206202197193190186180173
32°F235227223219214210206201196
28°F264255248242238233227221214
24°F297283275268262257252245237
20°F330317308302296289282273262
16°F365354342334330323313305294

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
89% 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
3,280
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,648
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,731
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,194
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,813
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,592
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,537

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January736136
February597139
March4338141
April19444314
May53146558
June3327774
July0445910
August0397862
September14226661
October17448349
November4355120
December642150

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 13.9 km from Rockfish. 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 USC00317056 (Raeford). Public domain.