Lincoln County climate

Lincoln County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fayetteville Wtp, 4.3 km from Lincoln County, elevation 742 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fayetteville Wtp. 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 28, a growing season of about 201 days.

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

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 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
28°FOct 22Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 8
20°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 23Jan 2
16°FNov 27Dec 3Dec 8Dec 16Dec 23Dec 31Jan 3Jan 11Jan 23

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°F201194189185180176171166160
32°F225216211207201197193187180
28°F249241234229224219214209201
24°F279271263257251246240232223
20°F312302294287279272266259249
16°F346335326317310303296287275

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
97% 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
3,363
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,565
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,634
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,112
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,735
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,517
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,461

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January771030
February588147
March4238150
April18142327
May49139555
June3304751
July0411876
August1388852
September20221651
October18147345
November4595107
December689143

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 4.3 km from Lincoln 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 USC00403074 (Fayetteville Wtp). Public domain.