Hammon Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hammon 3 Ssw. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 191 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 25, first October 14
- Median at 32°F
- last April 16, first October 23
- Median at 28°F
- last April 4, first October 31
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 9 | May 5 | May 1 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | May 2 | Apr 27 | Apr 23 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 9 | Apr 5 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Apr 22 | Apr 16 | Apr 11 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 23 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 22 | Mar 18 | Mar 13 | Mar 9 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 30 | Mar 22 | Mar 17 | Mar 12 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 2 | Feb 26 | Feb 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 10 | Mar 5 | Mar 2 | Feb 27 | Feb 23 | Feb 18 | Feb 13 | Feb 2 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 190 | 183 | 178 | 175 | 171 | 167 | 162 | 157 | 150 |
| 32°F | 212 | 204 | 198 | 194 | 191 | 186 | 181 | 176 | 168 |
| 28°F | 235 | 225 | 220 | 216 | 211 | 206 | 201 | 196 | 187 |
| 24°F | 255 | 248 | 242 | 237 | 232 | 226 | 222 | 216 | 207 |
| 20°F | 279 | 271 | 264 | 259 | 253 | 248 | 244 | 236 | 228 |
| 16°F | 307 | 296 | 289 | 282 | 277 | 273 | 266 | 259 | 249 |
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
- 4,086
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,777
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 7,354
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 5,944
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 4,685
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 3,572
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 2,607
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 891 | 0 | 6 |
| February | 697 | 0 | 19 |
| March | 507 | 6 | 109 |
| April | 249 | 29 | 260 |
| May | 73 | 137 | 530 |
| June | 3 | 355 | 802 |
| July | 0 | 507 | 972 |
| August | 1 | 470 | 934 |
| September | 35 | 227 | 643 |
| October | 215 | 42 | 317 |
| November | 552 | 4 | 83 |
| December | 863 | 0 | 10 |
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 5.5 km from Hammon. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.
More
Sources
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00343871 (Hammon 3 Ssw). Public domain.