Cherokee climate

Cherokee Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cherokee 4W, 6.2 km from Cherokee, elevation 1239 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cherokee 4W. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 196 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first November 5

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 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12
32°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
28°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25Mar 18
24°FApr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5
20°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 21
16°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4

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 5Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 12Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 22

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°F195189185181177174170167159
32°F215208203200196193188183176
28°F235227222217213210205201194
24°F258249244239234230224219210
20°F279271266260255250245238229
16°F306295286280275271266259249

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
4,302
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,965
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,439
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,066
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,838
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,749
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,795

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95903
February757015
March552393
April27423237
May66147547
June3393840
July05721,037
August0513978
September25265691
October21448323
November562267
December88907

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 6.2 km from Cherokee. 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 USC00341724 (Cherokee 4W). Public domain.