Kimble County climate

Kimble County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Junction 4SSW, 7.1 km from Kimble County, elevation 1747 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Junction 4SSW. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 202 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 18, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 5

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 5Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28Mar 20
28°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 6
24°FApr 2Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24
20°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 21Feb 13Feb 2
16°FMar 11Mar 4Mar 1Feb 23Feb 16Feb 8Jan 31Jan 26Jan 11

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 6Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 30Nov 3
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 23
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 23
16°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14Dec 20Dec 27Jan 3Jan 15

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°F204197191187183179174169163
32°F226217211207202197192187179
28°F253242235229224220215208199
24°F276267259254248242236230220
20°F306294285279273267261254245
16°F343333321311303298291282270

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
95% 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
2,418
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,313
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,142
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,486
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,959
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,584
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,365

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January598154
February4274106
March25926272
April9699459
May17269716
June0445895
July0525990
August0516981
September9302743
October101108480
November33516196
December576167

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 7.1 km from Kimble County. 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 USC00414670 (Junction 4SSW). Public domain.