China climate

China Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beaumont Rsch Ctr, 4.8 km from China, elevation 27 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beaumont Rsch Ctr. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around December 2, a growing season of about 291 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 5, first November 18
Median at 32°F
last February 18, first December 2
Median at 28°F
last January 29, first December 29

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°FMar 26Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 8
32°FMar 15Mar 6Mar 1Feb 25Feb 18Feb 10Feb 3Jan 29Jan 20
28°FMar 1Feb 20Feb 8Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 17Jan 8Dec 28
24°FFeb 19Feb 3Jan 28Jan 21Jan 14Jan 10Jan 5Dec 31Dec 22
20°F–––––––––
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°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 7
32°FNov 9Nov 17Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14Dec 25Jan 5
28°FNov 28Dec 4Dec 11Dec 21Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 15Jan 30
24°FDec 10Dec 21Dec 30Jan 2Jan 6Jan 9Jan 15Jan 22Feb 3
20°F–––––––––
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°F291278271265259253247241233
32°F333320309300291283276267258
28°F365356347338333325316305291
24°F365365365365365364355344332
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
99% of years
28°F or colder
86% of years
24°F or colder
43% of years
20°F or colder
9% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
1,444
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,898
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,603
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,836
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,149
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,580
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,156

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January41010151
February27419205
March14562394
April42149557
May4337798
June0489939
July05631,028
August05661,031
September1419868
October34208639
November17857347
December35619192

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 4.8 km from China. 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 USC00410613 (Beaumont Rsch Ctr). Public domain.