Walters climate

Walters Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Walters, 0.7 km from Walters, elevation 1005 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Walters. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 218 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 13, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 19, first November 14

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 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 28
32°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 13
28°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Feb 28
24°FMar 28Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17
20°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Jan 29
16°FMar 7Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 10Feb 5Jan 30Jan 22Jan 7

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 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
32°FOct 22Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20
28°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
24°FNov 7Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13
20°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 23Dec 29
16°FNov 29Dec 7Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24Dec 29Jan 3Jan 10Jan 28

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°F218211206202198194190185179
32°F240233228222218213208203195
28°F263254249244239235230224216
24°F288279273268262257251244235
20°F318306299292287281275268259
16°F351341331322314308302294284

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
95% 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
3,241
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,264
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,445
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,914
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,530
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,295
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,205

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January774017
February586045
March38912172
April16249350
May31198633
June1425874
July05871,052
August05811,046
September12318756
October13186429
November4316129
December727027

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 0.7 km from Walters. 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 USC00349278 (Walters). Public domain.