Bledsoe County climate

Bledsoe County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pikeville, 1 km from Bledsoe County, elevation 864 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pikeville. 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 April 11 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 197 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 3

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°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 6
32°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 24
28°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10
24°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 2Feb 24
20°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14Feb 2
16°FMar 15Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7Feb 2Jan 28Jan 16

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 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
32°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 29Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 15Dec 26
16°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14Dec 21Dec 27Jan 2Jan 8Jan 17

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°F195188183179174171166162155
32°F218212206201197192187182175
28°F242234228223218215211205198
24°F272262255249244239234228220
20°F307297287279274268261255244
16°F340332323314306301292283273

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
100% of years
16°F or colder
98% 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
3,483
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,430
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,381
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,868
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,513
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,326
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,299

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January783024
February604036
March4444128
April19929298
May57121529
June3279726
July0391856
August0363828
September19200632
October19040330
November479394
December706135

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 1 km from Bledsoe County. 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 USC00407184 (Pikeville). Public domain.