Little River climate

Little River Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for N Myrtle Bch AP, 12.2 km from Little River, elevation 32 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for N Myrtle Bch 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 13 and the first fall freeze around November 20, a growing season of about 255 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 26, first November 10
Median at 32°F
last March 13, first November 20
Median at 28°F
last February 26, first December 6

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 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 6
32°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20
28°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12Feb 5Jan 29
24°FMar 5Feb 27Feb 16Feb 7Feb 2Jan 30Jan 25Jan 16Jan 5
20°FFeb 14Feb 3Jan 31Jan 27Jan 23Jan 18Jan 13Jan 6Dec 30
16°FFeb 5Jan 31Jan 27Jan 24Jan 22Jan 18Jan 15Jan 10Jan 6

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 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 28
32°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 16
28°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14Dec 22Dec 31Jan 6
24°FNov 27Dec 6Dec 15Dec 23Dec 30Jan 3Jan 7Jan 14Jan 24
20°FDec 14Dec 24Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 15Jan 19Jan 25Feb 1
16°FJan 4Jan 8Jan 12Jan 15Jan 18Jan 20Jan 24Jan 27Feb 2

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°F257248240235230225219214206
32°F286275267260255250244237229
28°F324311302295287279272263254
24°F360346337332326318308300286
20°F365365365365356348340334325
16°F365365365365365365365365348

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
92% of years
20°F or colder
61% of years
16°F or colder
19% 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
2,343
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,003
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,869
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,189
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,640
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,246
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,029

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January583171
February452180
March3179199
April12350380
May20188632
June0377826
July0485950
August0450915
September3317763
October79109496
November28616214
December4793112

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 12.2 km from Little River. 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 USW00093718 (N Myrtle Bch AP). Public domain.