Memphis climate

Memphis Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Memphis Intl AP, 11.9 km from Memphis, elevation 254 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Memphis Intl AP. 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 March 16 and the first fall freeze around November 16, a growing season of about 244 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 29, first November 5
Median at 32°F
last March 16, first November 16
Median at 28°F
last March 4, first November 28

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°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10
32°FApr 4Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Feb 27
28°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13
24°FMar 15Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 11Feb 3Jan 28
20°FMar 3Feb 25Feb 18Feb 11Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 18Jan 9
16°FFeb 22Feb 10Feb 2Jan 29Jan 23Jan 18Jan 14Jan 8Dec 31

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 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
32°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 3
28°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
24°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 25Dec 31Jan 8
20°FDec 4Dec 14Dec 22Dec 27Dec 31Jan 5Jan 11Jan 16Jan 28
16°FDec 14Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 14Jan 19Jan 26Feb 4

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°F245237230225222217212207199
32°F266259253249244240235228221
28°F292284279273268262256250242
24°F327317308302295290283275263
20°F360347338332326318310304294
16°F365365365359349342335326313

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
94% of years
16°F or colder
68% 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
2,875
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,314
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,793
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,212
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,766
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,461
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,309

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January711145
February532371
March35218200
April13076404
May21240684
June0447897
July05501,015
August0528993
September7335778
October116103457
November37912162
December628261

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 11.9 km from Memphis. 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 USW00013893 (Memphis Intl AP). Public domain.