Wallace climate

Wallace Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cheraw, 4.2 km from Wallace, elevation 150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cheraw. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 231 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 5, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 26, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 13, first November 21

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 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 20
32°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 5
28°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 18
24°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 5Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 13Feb 4Jan 28
20°FMar 4Feb 24Feb 14Feb 6Feb 1Jan 30Jan 24Jan 17Jan 8
16°FFeb 8Feb 1Jan 30Jan 27Jan 22Jan 18Jan 13Jan 8Dec 31

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 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13
32°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
28°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 11
24°FNov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 5
20°FDec 1Dec 10Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 15Jan 26
16°FDec 17Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 9Jan 12Jan 17Jan 22Jan 30

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°F230222217213209205201196187
32°F255245239234231226221216209
28°F287275268262255249244238231
24°F323311304296289281273265255
20°F363347337332325318309301289
16°F365365365363353346338333323

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
91% of years
16°F or colder
60% 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
2,943
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,852
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,204
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,615
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,178
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,904
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,794

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January687142
February537153
March39010163
April15555359
May35176606
June2365813
July0480945
August0434899
September10259699
October13562398
November3887141
December604260

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 4.2 km from Wallace. 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 USC00381588 (Cheraw). Public domain.