Roland climate

Roland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Smith Rgnl AP, 16.9 km from Roland, elevation 449 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Smith Rgnl AP. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 224 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 8, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 25, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 11, first November 17

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 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27Mar 21
32°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 12Mar 4
28°FApr 2Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21
24°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 19Feb 12Jan 31
20°FMar 7Mar 1Feb 24Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 18
16°FMar 1Feb 17Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 18Jan 10Dec 31

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 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
32°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
28°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4
24°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 21
20°FNov 23Nov 30Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 21Dec 27Jan 2Jan 11
16°FDec 9Dec 15Dec 22Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 16Jan 31

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°F223216212207203199194189183
32°F248240234230224220215210202
28°F276266260255250245240233223
24°F306295286280275269263257247
20°F336326317310304299294285273
16°F365360350343337332322311301

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
83% 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
3,098
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,177
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,457
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,904
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,500
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,241
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,134

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January761025
February561151
March36914181
April14257373
May28197634
June0416865
July05611,026
August05361,001
September10304744
October12981424
November4078139
December689136

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 Roland. 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 USW00013964 (Ft Smith Rgnl AP). Public domain.