Dickson climate

Dickson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ardmore 3ENE Mesonet, 9.4 km from Dickson, elevation 872 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ardmore 3ENE Mesonet. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around November 10, a growing season of about 238 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 2, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 18, first November 10
Median at 28°F
last March 5, first November 21

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 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 13
32°FApr 9Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
28°FMar 23Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 16
24°FMar 10Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 12Feb 5Jan 29
20°FMar 2Feb 25Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 28Jan 21Jan 9
16°FFeb 20Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 23Jan 17Jan 8Jan 1Dec 21

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 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
32°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28
28°FNov 2Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9
24°FNov 12Nov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 28
20°FNov 24Dec 3Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21Dec 27Jan 2Jan 10Jan 22
16°FDec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 14Jan 23Feb 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°F238228222217213208203198190
32°F262253247242238231225219211
28°F287279271265260255249242232
24°F319308299292286280274266256
20°F352339331323315308302294282
16°F365365364354346339332320308

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
72% 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
2,858
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,256
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,741
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,148
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,694
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,390
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,242

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January702033
February517382
March33221214
April13268394
May30205641
June0424874
July05661,031
August05541,019
September8308750
October12694439
November36712167
December643249

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 9.4 km from Dickson. 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 USC00340313 (Ardmore 3ENE Mesonet). Public domain.