Darlington climate

Darlington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Darlington, 0.1 km from Darlington, elevation 150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Darlington. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 221 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 10, first October 29
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 18, 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 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
32°FApr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
28°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 27
24°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 16Feb 4
20°FMar 14Mar 7Mar 1Feb 22Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 23Jan 12
16°FMar 3Feb 21Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 16Jan 9Dec 29

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 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8
32°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
28°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 6
24°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 24Jan 2
20°FNov 24Dec 2Dec 8Dec 16Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 11Jan 23
16°FDec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 3Jan 8Jan 13Jan 19Jan 27Feb 8

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°F222215210206202198193190183
32°F244236231226221218214208201
28°F273262256250245241235230220
24°F310299289283275269263255245
20°F349336328319310302294284274
16°F365365362351344336330319305

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
96% of years
16°F or colder
73% 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
2,745
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,973
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,497
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,883
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,418
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,108
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,956

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January644155
February506271
March36013187
April13860380
May25206647
June1388837
July0501966
August0443908
September8273715
October12074424
November36810158
December574371

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 0.1 km from Darlington. 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 USC00382260 (Darlington). Public domain.