Abingdon climate

Abingdon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Abingdon 3S, 4.7 km from Abingdon, elevation 1925 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Abingdon 3S. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 1

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 20May 14May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 23Apr 18
32°FMay 10May 3Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 5
28°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
24°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 6
20°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 27Feb 18
16°FMar 21Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 10Feb 1

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 30Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 14
16°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24Dec 30

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°F180174169165160157152147140
32°F203196191187182179175169162
28°F227220214209205202197192184
24°F255245240235231226222215208
20°F285275268262257252245240231
16°F319307299292285278271263253

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
4,610
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
870
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,052
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,693
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,501
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,469
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,588

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January94509
February770011
March622058
April3279190
May12658402
June16175609
July2266729
August2238701
September52112511
October30013219
November597051
December851013

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 4.7 km from Abingdon. 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 USC00440021 (Abingdon 3S). Public domain.