Frankston climate

Frankston Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Jacksonville, 24.1 km from Frankston, elevation 560 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Jacksonville. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around November 14, a growing season of about 239 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 4, first November 4
Median at 32°F
last March 22, first November 14
Median at 28°F
last March 8, 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 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17
32°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8Mar 1
28°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14
24°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21Feb 14Feb 5Jan 30Jan 20
20°FMar 6Feb 26Feb 13Feb 4Jan 30Jan 25Jan 18Jan 10Dec 31
16°FFeb 17Feb 8Feb 1Jan 27Jan 22Jan 15Jan 8Jan 3Dec 23

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 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 22
32°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29Dec 3
28°FNov 5Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 18
24°FNov 14Nov 23Nov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 21Dec 27Jan 3Jan 11
20°FNov 30Dec 9Dec 19Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 17Jan 30
16°FDec 13Dec 22Dec 31Jan 3Jan 8Jan 12Jan 18Jan 28Feb 6

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°F238230223218213210205200192
32°F266257250245239232226220212
28°F297284276271264258252245235
24°F335320310303295288280270259
20°F365361351341334327318306293
16°F365365365365365359349340329

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
98% of years
20°F or colder
83% of years
16°F or colder
50% 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
2,303
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,349
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,273
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,599
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,047
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,648
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,410

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January591363
February4304103
March27820247
April10376426
May13237688
June0423873
July05501,015
August05391,004
September4350796
October80122510
November29619222
December5086101

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 24.1 km from Frankston. 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 USC00414525 (Jacksonville). Public domain.