Real County climate

Real County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Prade Rch, 9.9 km from Real County, elevation 2052 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Prade Rch. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 212 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 15, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first November 2
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°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Mar 30
32°FApr 25Apr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21Mar 11
28°FApr 10Apr 3Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 25
24°FMar 26Mar 17Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15Feb 4
20°FMar 11Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 8Feb 1Jan 25Jan 13
16°FMar 2Feb 23Feb 10Feb 2Jan 28Jan 19Jan 8Dec 31Dec 20

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 9Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
32°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 18
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26Dec 2
24°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 15
20°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 11Dec 16Dec 23Jan 4
16°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23Dec 29Jan 4Jan 13Feb 1

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°F214207201196192187183176168
32°F239230223217212207201194186
28°F267257251245239234227220210
24°F299288279273267262255247237
20°F338323314304297289283274263
16°F365361351342334328317305291

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
98% of years
16°F or colder
81% 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
2,364
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,079
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,933
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,255
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,710
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,328
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,115

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January586050
February4103106
March26419256
April10475426
May15240690
June0399849
July0474939
August0473938
September8285727
October9397475
November32113194
December563160

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 9.9 km from Real 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 USC00417232 (Prade Rch). Public domain.