Duval County Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Freer. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around December 7, a growing season of about 304 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last March 1, first November 26
- Median at 32°F
- last February 10, first December 7
- Median at 28°F
- last January 21, first December 21
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 15 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 1 | Feb 24 | Feb 19 | Feb 12 | Feb 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 1 | Feb 24 | Feb 17 | Feb 10 | Feb 3 | Jan 29 | Jan 22 | Jan 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Feb 9 | Feb 2 | Jan 28 | Jan 21 | Jan 14 | Jan 6 | Dec 30 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Jan 27 | Jan 21 | Jan 14 | Jan 7 | Jan 2 | Dec 31 | Dec 24 | Dec 16 |
| 20°F | Jan 24 | Jan 20 | Jan 13 | Jan 7 | Jan 4 | Jan 1 | Dec 31 | Dec 26 | Dec 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 8 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 28 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 28 |
| 24°F | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Dec 31 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 |
| 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 303 | 292 | 284 | 277 | 271 | 265 | 259 | 251 | 238 |
| 32°F | 340 | 329 | 318 | 310 | 304 | 297 | 290 | 281 | 271 |
| 28°F | 365 | 364 | 355 | 347 | 340 | 334 | 328 | 317 | 304 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 363 | 354 | 345 | 334 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 357 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
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
- 98% of years
- 28°F or colder
- 83% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 46% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 17% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 5% 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
- 1,112
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 3,601
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 11,633
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 9,849
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 8,122
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 6,487
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 4,972
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 339 | 21 | 209 |
| February | 199 | 48 | 296 |
| March | 96 | 132 | 509 |
| April | 24 | 240 | 667 |
| May | 2 | 437 | 901 |
| June | 0 | 556 | 1,006 |
| July | 0 | 636 | 1,101 |
| August | 0 | 646 | 1,111 |
| September | 1 | 464 | 914 |
| October | 24 | 291 | 732 |
| November | 134 | 98 | 428 |
| December | 294 | 32 | 249 |
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 23.8 km from Duval 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 USC00413341 (Freer). Public domain.