Oak City climate

Oak City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oak City, 3.1 km from Oak City, elevation 5095 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oak City. 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 May 2 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 24

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°FJun 3May 30May 25May 20May 16May 13May 10May 5Apr 30
32°FMay 21May 14May 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 9May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
24°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 25Mar 18Mar 10
20°FApr 5Mar 30Mar 24Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 20
16°FMar 12Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 24Feb 21Feb 16Feb 10Feb 3

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°FSep 21Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 19
32°FSep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 30
28°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
20°FOct 28Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 24Nov 29
16°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8

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°F161153148143138133128121114
32°F183176171166162158153147139
28°F210200194190186181176170161
24°F239230223218213208202195188
20°F271261256250244238232226215
16°F298288283277271266260252244

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
100% 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
5,782
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,185
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,649
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,462
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,440
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,562
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,815

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10501
February86702
March690025
April493387
May22942301
June48208611
July1428892
August3364826
September78130509
October39311164
November770020
December1,10601

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 3.1 km from Oak City. 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 USC00426357 (Oak City). Public domain.