Rockingham County climate

Rockingham County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Reidsville 2 Nw, 7.4 km from Rockingham County, elevation 890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Reidsville 2 Nw. 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 November 2, a growing season of about 213 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 24, 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 8May 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
32°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
28°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6
24°FMar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 19
20°FMar 19Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 19Feb 13Feb 7Jan 31
16°FMar 7Feb 28Feb 19Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 13

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 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 12Nov 17
28°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 25
20°FNov 21Nov 29Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 22Dec 28Jan 3Jan 14
16°FDec 8Dec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 16Jan 23Feb 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°F209203198193188184179173166
32°F234227222217213208204198191
28°F261252246242237233227222214
24°F292282274269263257250244236
20°F327314307302297291283274263
16°F358344335331325318311304296

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
91% 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
3,825
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,340
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,023
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,563
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,261
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,124
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,150

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January826017
February669024
March524398
April25128257
May87107487
June10272712
July0388852
August1336800
September30171591
October21532297
November484295
December727130

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 7.4 km from Rockingham County. 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 USC00317202 (Reidsville 2 Nw). Public domain.