Saxapahaw climate

Saxapahaw Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cane Creek Rsvr, 7.5 km from Saxapahaw, elevation 525 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cane Creek Rsvr. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 210 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 12

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 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 5
32°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
28°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 7
24°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 20
20°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7Jan 31
16°FMar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 13Feb 5Feb 1Jan 27Jan 19Jan 9

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 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
32°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14
28°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 30
24°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 17
20°FNov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1Jan 10
16°FDec 6Dec 14Dec 24Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 14Jan 21Feb 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°F206200195192188183179173165
32°F231223218214210207202197191
28°F255247242238232228223218213
24°F289278269263258253248241233
20°F325312304298292286278269258
16°F361346338331324317309302291

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
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
3,748
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,434
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,168
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,704
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,403
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,260
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,268

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January812018
February650034
March5255102
April23727266
May70119515
June4280726
July0415880
August0354818
September24190616
October20640313
November495385
December726029

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 7.5 km from Saxapahaw. 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 USC00311429 (Cane Creek Rsvr). Public domain.