McBee climate

McBee Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hartsville, 20.7 km from McBee, elevation 185 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hartsville. 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 224 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first October 30
Median at 32°F
last March 30, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 16, first November 18

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 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 24
32°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 11
28°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 2Feb 23
24°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18Feb 10Jan 31
20°FMar 11Mar 2Feb 26Feb 18Feb 8Feb 2Jan 29Jan 20Jan 8
16°FFeb 28Feb 17Feb 6Jan 31Jan 29Jan 22Jan 17Jan 10Jan 1

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 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
32°FOct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
28°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 10
24°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 9Dec 17Dec 27Jan 5
20°FNov 26Dec 4Dec 13Dec 22Dec 30Jan 3Jan 8Jan 15Jan 27
16°FDec 12Dec 24Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 14Jan 19Jan 26Feb 3

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°F222215211208203200195191185
32°F248240233229224220214209201
28°F278268260255249245238232223
24°F316304294286280274267258247
20°F351339331324314306300292276
16°F365365365357348341333325307

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
95% of years
16°F or colder
71% 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
2,867
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,955
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,379
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,782
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,336
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,046
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,918

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January671152
February522366
March37812175
April15360367
May34190622
June2380828
July0499964
August0451916
September8277718
October13071412
November3828146
December589370

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 20.7 km from McBee. 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 USC00383990 (Hartsville). Public domain.