Ringling climate

Ringling Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Healdton 3 E, 16.9 km from Ringling, elevation 902 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Healdton 3 E. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 204 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 28, first November 8

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 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 3
32°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
28°FApr 15Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 7
24°FApr 4Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28Feb 23
20°FMar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 27Feb 23Feb 16Feb 6
16°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Feb 2Jan 28Jan 19

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 19Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 5
32°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
28°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 22
16°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13Dec 20Dec 26Jan 3Jan 11

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°F206198193189184180175170163
32°F228220214209204200195189180
28°F251242236231225220215208200
24°F273264259252247242236230222
20°F303293285277272265260252242
16°F335324314306301295287278267

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
98% 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
3,354
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,000
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,118
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,600
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,225
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,996
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,920

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January789022
February589153
March41610161
April18345331
May45171591
June1379828
July0529994
August0510975
September19275707
October15873394
November4297138
December726133

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 16.9 km from Ringling. 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 USC00344001 (Healdton 3 E). Public domain.