West Columbia climate

West Columbia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Angleton 2 W, 18.1 km from West Columbia, elevation 27 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Angleton 2 W. 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 January 29 and the first fall freeze around December 31, a growing season of about 333 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 20, first December 6
Median at 32°F
last January 29, first December 31
Median at 28°F
last January 19, first January 7

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 24Mar 13Mar 6Feb 28Feb 20Feb 11Feb 3Jan 27Jan 16
32°FMar 10Feb 27Feb 13Feb 4Jan 29Jan 23Jan 14Jan 8Dec 27
28°FMar 1Feb 9Feb 1Jan 26Jan 19Jan 10Jan 5Dec 31Dec 14
24°FMar 3Feb 3Jan 23Jan 14Jan 8Jan 4Jan 2Dec 28Dec 21
20°F–––––––––
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 12Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 21Jan 1Jan 12
32°FNov 26Dec 4Dec 14Dec 24Dec 31Jan 4Jan 10Jan 20Feb 1
28°FDec 6Dec 21Dec 31Jan 4Jan 7Jan 13Jan 22Feb 1Feb 8
24°FDec 19Dec 28Jan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 11Jan 21Feb 2Feb 16
20°F–––––––––
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°F336320310303293283276263249
32°F365360349339333325315304286
28°F365365365365365363351340325
24°F365365365365365365365365364
20°F365365365365365365365365365
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
99% of years
32°F or colder
84% of years
28°F or colder
42% of years
24°F or colder
10% of years
20°F or colder
1% 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
1,044
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,213
Growing degree days, base 40°F
11,302
Growing degree days, base 45°F
9,505
Growing degree days, base 50°F
7,755
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,096
Growing degree days, base 60°F
4,571

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January31421219
February19938279
March10878440
April34161578
May2363826
June0501951
July05771,042
August05871,052
September0472922
October20268714
November12096436
December24850297

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 18.1 km from West Columbia. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00410257 (Angleton 2 W). Public domain.