Anderson climate

Anderson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Anderson, 3 km from Anderson, elevation 800 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Anderson. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around November 11, a growing season of about 234 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 23, first November 11
Median at 28°F
last March 11, first November 26

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 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 19
32°FApr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 3
28°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 5Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15
24°FMar 20Mar 12Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3Jan 27
20°FMar 9Feb 26Feb 17Feb 9Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 17Jan 4
16°FFeb 23Feb 9Feb 2Jan 30Jan 24Jan 17Jan 11Jan 4Dec 28

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 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14
32°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Dec 1
28°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 20
24°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1Jan 9
20°FDec 5Dec 12Dec 21Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 17Jan 30
16°FDec 16Dec 25Dec 31Jan 2Jan 8Jan 13Jan 19Jan 28Feb 5

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°F232225219215212207204199191
32°F259250245239234229225220214
28°F290279271265260254249242232
24°F327313306300292285278268257
20°F365348338332325316307298283
16°F365365365364356346336329314

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
92% of years
16°F or colder
62% 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
2,935
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,864
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,207
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,604
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,164
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,894
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,793

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January687034
February530048
March3868159
April15644346
May33177610
June2370819
July0487952
August0451916
September8264706
October13157396
November3915132
December613147

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 3 km from Anderson. 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 USC00380165 (Anderson). Public domain.