Charlotte climate

Charlotte Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Charlotte 5 Nnw, 8.4 km from Charlotte, elevation 441 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Charlotte 5 Nnw. 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 February 26 and the first fall freeze around November 28, a growing season of about 278 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 10, first November 15
Median at 32°F
last February 26, first November 28
Median at 28°F
last February 6, first December 10

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 4Mar 27Mar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 16
32°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 4Jan 27
28°FMar 6Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 18Dec 31
24°FFeb 27Feb 17Feb 10Feb 2Jan 28Jan 21Jan 11Jan 1Dec 19
20°FFeb 21Feb 13Feb 4Jan 29Jan 21Jan 9Jan 3Dec 30Dec 17
16°F–––––––––

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 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 6
32°FNov 6Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13Dec 26
28°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 18Dec 26Jan 3Jan 17
24°FDec 2Dec 8Dec 16Dec 23Dec 31Jan 5Jan 12Jan 23Feb 10
20°FDec 6Dec 20Dec 28Jan 2Jan 7Jan 13Jan 30Feb 5Feb 15
16°F–––––––––

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°F282271264257250244238231221
32°F314302293285278272265258248
28°F350338330321312304297286273
24°F365365365356346338329318304
20°F365365365365365365365352334
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
96% of years
24°F or colder
72% of years
20°F or colder
33% of years
16°F or colder
6% 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
1,000
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,673
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,806
Growing degree days, base 45°F
10,005
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,248
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,584
Growing degree days, base 60°F
5,049

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January30916216
February17849307
March86122505
April19246677
May1434897
June05731,023
July06451,110
August06591,124
September0500950
October16296746
November119101438
December27233256

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 8.4 km from Charlotte. 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 USC00411663 (Charlotte 5 Nnw). Public domain.