Arlington climate

Arlington Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Memphis WFO, 22.6 km from Arlington, elevation 310 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Memphis WFO. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 223 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 9, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last March 29, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 15, 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 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
32°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 9
28°FApr 2Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26
24°FMar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 6
20°FMar 12Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 10Feb 2Jan 28Jan 18
16°FMar 2Feb 22Feb 12Feb 4Jan 31Jan 27Jan 21Jan 14Jan 3

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 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
32°FOct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
28°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
24°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 25
20°FNov 19Nov 30Dec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 7Jan 16
16°FDec 8Dec 20Dec 28Jan 1Jan 4Jan 8Jan 14Jan 21Feb 1

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°F223215210205201197192186180
32°F247238232227223218213207200
28°F273263257251247241236230223
24°F303293284278272267260253243
20°F337328317309304298290281270
16°F365359349340334328317307296

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
86% 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
3,352
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,975
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,084
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,574
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,202
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,975
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,900

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January786131
February606149
March42712154
April18156343
May39197623
June1390838
July0501966
August0464928
September15273708
October16274389
November4408128
December695145

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 22.6 km from Arlington. 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 USC00405956 (Memphis WFO). Public domain.