Sevier County climate

Sevier County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gatlinburg 2 Sw, 10.9 km from Sevier County, elevation 1454 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gatlinburg 2 Sw. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 2, 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 17May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Mar 31
28°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 15
24°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 4Feb 27
20°FMar 27Mar 19Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21Feb 14Feb 4
16°FMar 14Mar 5Feb 28Feb 21Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2Jan 27Jan 15

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 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30
32°FOct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 20Dec 29
16°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 10Dec 17Dec 23Dec 29Jan 2Jan 10Jan 18

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°F189181176171168163159154146
32°F211204199193189184179174167
28°F236229224219214210206200192
24°F271261253248242238232225216
20°F308298289281274266261254244
16°F338328320312306300293285272

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
4,284
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
789
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,154
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,750
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,513
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,440
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,530

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January880015
February704021
March562181
April30113210
May12054404
June17150583
July1243707
August3212674
September47101504
October28214231
November574160
December792023

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 10.9 km from Sevier 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 USC00403420 (Gatlinburg 2 Sw). Public domain.