Scotland County climate

Scotland County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Laurinburg, 10.2 km from Scotland County, elevation 210 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Laurinburg. 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 March 21 and the first fall freeze around November 14, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 2
Median at 32°F
last March 21, first November 14
Median at 28°F
last March 5, first November 27

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 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17
32°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 2
28°FMar 30Mar 21Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 8
24°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 18
20°FMar 1Feb 16Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 18Jan 12Jan 1
16°FFeb 7Feb 2Jan 30Jan 27Jan 23Jan 19Jan 13Jan 6Dec 28

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 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 19
32°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27Dec 4
28°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 22
24°FNov 21Nov 29Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22Dec 28Jan 4Jan 13
20°FDec 4Dec 14Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 9Jan 14Jan 19Jan 30
16°FDec 21Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 13Jan 17Jan 22Jan 29Feb 2

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°F236228222217213209206202195
32°F267256249244239234229223215
28°F299288280273266261255248237
24°F334325315307300292284276265
20°F365359349341335329321310301
16°F365365365365365358347338329

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
85% of years
16°F or colder
48% 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
2,651
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,190
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,798
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,168
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,683
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,359
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,193

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January649153
February493374
March34016200
April12678408
May21238682
June1423872
July05391,004
August0481946
September7307750
October11088447
November34613174
December559475

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 10.2 km from Scotland 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 USC00314860 (Laurinburg). Public domain.