Henderson climate

Henderson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Henderson 4 W, 7.6 km from Henderson, elevation 460 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Henderson 4 W. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 200 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 4

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 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 7
32°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 26
28°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
24°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4Feb 26
20°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 6
16°FMar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 9Feb 3Jan 29Jan 18

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 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
32°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15Nov 20
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 3
20°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 6Dec 13Dec 20
16°FNov 22Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 20Dec 26Jan 1Jan 11

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°F197192186182178174169165158
32°F221213209204200196191186178
28°F244235229225221217213208201
24°F269260254249244239234229221
20°F300291283277271265259253245
16°F335325316307300295287278269

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
3,898
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,410
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,122
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,680
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,379
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,235
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,244

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January860021
February678134
March5074107
April24027266
May72117511
June3279726
July0401866
August1362826
September28184606
October22533295
November511289
December774133

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 7.6 km from Henderson. 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 USC00404033 (Henderson 4 W). Public domain.