Memphis climate

Memphis Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Memphis, 0.3 km from Memphis, elevation 2090 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Memphis. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 215 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 17, first November 12

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 28Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 28
32°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13
28°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2
24°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19
20°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 27Feb 22Feb 17Feb 12Feb 2
16°FMar 4Feb 28Feb 21Feb 15Feb 11Feb 4Jan 30Jan 22Jan 8

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 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6
32°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
28°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28
24°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8
20°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 25
16°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 20Dec 27Jan 4Jan 13

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°F214209204201197192189184176
32°F237229224219215211207202194
28°F261253248243238232226220212
24°F283275269264259254248243234
20°F313301293285280275269262252
16°F346334325317309303295287275

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
98% 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
3,499
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,060
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,061
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,561
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,204
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,002
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,955

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January795015
February621139
March4239153
April18749333
May48191609
June2412861
July05531,018
August0508973
September19271702
October17261373
November4704109
December761019

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 0.3 km from Memphis. 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 USC00415821 (Memphis). Public domain.