Cheatham County climate

Cheatham County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cheatham L&d, 13.8 km from Cheatham County, elevation 392 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cheatham L&d. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 206 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 22, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 9, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 12

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 8May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
32°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
28°FApr 21Apr 12Apr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 8
24°FApr 10Apr 1Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6Mar 1Feb 23
20°FMar 25Mar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 19Feb 11Feb 3
16°FMar 9Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2Jan 28Jan 19

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 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
32°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15
28°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30
24°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13
20°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 23Jan 1
16°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 19

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°F204197192188184179175171163
32°F228220215211206202197191183
28°F254245238233228223217212203
24°F281272265259254248242234224
20°F313302295287282276269261249
16°F337328322315309303297288278

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
3,804
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,527
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,285
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,819
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,504
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,354
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,365

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January845020
February658136
March4905109
April26427250
May78124513
June5295739
July0419883
August1393857
September25214639
October20146328
November497397
December741032

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 13.8 km from Cheatham 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 USC00401663 (Cheatham L&d). Public domain.