Luttrell climate

Luttrell Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jefferson City, 25.6 km from Luttrell, elevation 1108 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jefferson City. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 27

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 21May 16May 12May 8May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 13May 7May 2Apr 29Apr 24Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
28°FMay 1Apr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28
24°FApr 19Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13
20°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4Feb 24
16°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21Feb 13Feb 3

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°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
32°FOct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15Nov 23
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 7Nov 15Nov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 20Dec 31

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°F175169164160156152147142136
32°F196189183179175170166158151
28°F220211205201196191185180169
24°F244237230224219214208203195
20°F276265258251245240233226216
16°F309296288280274267260251240

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
100% 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
4,338
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,042
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,369
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,982
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,763
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,701
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,793

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January90008
February727015
March585063
April3079197
May9872442
June10213652
July1310773
August1286750
September39136548
October27616237
November576162
December818015

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 25.6 km from Luttrell. 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 USC00404613 (Jefferson City). Public domain.