Quail Creek climate

Quail Creek Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Coleto Creek Rsvr, 11.2 km from Quail Creek, elevation 118 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Coleto Creek Rsvr. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around December 8, a growing season of about 299 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 3, first November 25
Median at 32°F
last February 17, first December 8
Median at 28°F
last January 31, first December 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°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 7
32°FMar 12Mar 6Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 11Feb 3Jan 27Jan 15
28°FMar 4Feb 23Feb 14Feb 4Jan 31Jan 22Jan 13Jan 4Dec 23
24°FFeb 24Feb 12Feb 2Jan 25Jan 13Jan 8Jan 2Dec 28Dec 17
20°FFeb 12Feb 2Jan 22Jan 11Jan 7Jan 2Dec 31Dec 20Dec 10
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 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 18
32°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22Jan 1Jan 11
28°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 13Dec 21Dec 28Jan 3Jan 9Jan 19Feb 3
24°FDec 9Dec 19Dec 27Dec 31Jan 5Jan 9Jan 22Feb 1Feb 14
20°FDec 10Dec 20Dec 31Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 22Feb 2Feb 11
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°F299288279273266262255248237
32°F338326314306299292284275264
28°F365362351343335329320309296
24°F365365365365365365356343329
20°F365365365365365365365365364
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
81% of years
24°F or colder
41% of years
20°F or colder
10% 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
1,242
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,026
Growing degree days, base 40°F
10,925
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,138
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,422
Growing degree days, base 55°F
5,813
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,339

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January36215182
February24128241
March12476426
April29161583
May2340803
June0483933
July05701,035
August05831,048
September0446895
October24234674
November14771387
December31320215

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 11.2 km from Quail Creek. 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 USC00411880 (Coleto Creek Rsvr). Public domain.