Burke County climate

Burke County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Northgate 5 Ese, 32.1 km from Burke County, elevation 1842 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Northgate 5 Ese. 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 May 20 and the first fall freeze around September 19, a growing season of about 121 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first September 9
Median at 32°F
last May 20, first September 19
Median at 28°F
last May 11, first September 26

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°FJun 15Jun 7Jun 3May 31May 29May 27May 24May 22May 17
32°FJun 2May 29May 26May 23May 20May 18May 16May 12May 9
28°FMay 24May 20May 16May 14May 11May 9May 6May 3Apr 29
24°FMay 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22Apr 16
20°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
16°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 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°FAug 25Aug 31Sep 3Sep 6Sep 9Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20
32°FSep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 19Sep 21Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28
28°FSep 14Sep 20Sep 22Sep 24Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
24°FSep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
20°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
16°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 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°F11911310810410197928779
32°F135131127124121117113108102
28°F154149145140137134130126120
24°F175168163158154150147141134
20°F193186182177174170165161154
16°F213206202198193190185179173

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
100% 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
10,000
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
174
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,245
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,369
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,609
Growing degree days, base 55°F
974
Growing degree days, base 60°F
484

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,76500
February1,50900
March1,29001
April777016
May4205128
June14421331
July5669477
August9168442
September32013190
October771124
November1,22001
December1,63800

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 32.1 km from Burke 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 USW00094084 (Northgate 5 Ese). Public domain.