Payne climate

Payne Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Paulding, 12.5 km from Payne, elevation 725 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Paulding. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 30

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 19May 15May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 10May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6
16°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25

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°FSep 24Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23

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°F173167163158154151147142136
32°F196188183179175171167162156
28°F218211207203199195190184177
24°F244237231226221217212207198
20°F270261255250245240235229222
16°F291283277271266261255249240

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
6,160
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
850
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,319
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,165
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,144
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,251
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,485

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25101
February1,05601
March864122
April4855100
May19057344
June25192616
July3274736
August10211666
September9197459
October38113169
November729026
December1,07404

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 12.5 km from Payne. 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 USC00336465 (Paulding). Public domain.