Cocke County climate

Cocke County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newport 1 Nw, 9.7 km from Cocke County, elevation 1036 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newport 1 Nw. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 203 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 21
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 6

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 6May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 5
32°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
28°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 9
24°FApr 2Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 20
20°FMar 22Mar 13Mar 7Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 8Jan 31
16°FMar 7Feb 27Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5Feb 2Jan 29Jan 22Jan 14

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 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
32°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 10
28°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20
24°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 13Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Dec 29
16°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 11Dec 19Dec 26Dec 30Jan 3Jan 10Jan 20

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°F201194189186182178174169162
32°F222215210206203199195191184
28°F247239233228224220215209203
24°F278268261256250245240234225
20°F314302295288282275267260250
16°F347335329322314308301293279

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
3,672
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,412
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,218
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,737
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,413
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,256
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,257

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January818018
February633030
March4812107
April21924275
May60119524
June3281727
July0391856
August0363828
September19196627
October20235314
November504281
December732026

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 9.7 km from Cocke County. 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 USC00406534 (Newport 1 Nw). Public domain.