Russells Point climate

Russells Point Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Huntsville 3N, 6.9 km from Russells Point, elevation 1034 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Huntsville 3N. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 22, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 10, first November 6

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 16May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19
32°FMay 6May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 13
20°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 2
16°FMar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25Feb 17

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 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28
32°FOct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
28°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
24°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 7
20°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 21Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20
16°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 25Jan 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°F185179173170166161157152144
32°F208200196192188184180175168
28°F232224219214211207203197191
24°F255247241237232228223219213
20°F279271265260255250245239231
16°F301294287282277272265258250

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
5,614
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
924
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,635
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,413
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,341
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,404
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,597

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,16701
February96204
March798133
April4224126
May16067383
June15195630
July4283744
August5237697
September78119491
October33717194
November676134
December99004

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 6.9 km from Russells Point. 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 USC00333915 (Huntsville 3N). Public domain.