Boydton climate

Boydton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chase City, 14.5 km from Boydton, elevation 510 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chase 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 April 6 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 209 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 6, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 11

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 8May 2Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 4
32°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 21
28°FApr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 3
24°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 18Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 14
20°FMar 18Mar 10Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 9Feb 2Jan 23
16°FMar 3Feb 22Feb 11Feb 3Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 13Jan 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°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
32°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 16
28°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25Dec 2
24°FNov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 21
20°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 17Dec 23Dec 30Jan 5Jan 15
16°FDec 7Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 1Jan 8Jan 14Jan 20Jan 31

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°F205199194191187183178173167
32°F229222217213209205200196189
28°F263251244238233229223218211
24°F293282274269264259253246237
20°F331319309303296289283275265
16°F365353345337332326316305295

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
88% 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
3,752
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,432
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,126
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,656
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,354
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,217
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,246

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January798017
February651025
March523492
April24730259
May81117502
June7288731
July0414879
August1362826
September27185608
October21831293
November478293
December720131

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 14.5 km from Boydton. 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 USC00441606 (Chase City). Public domain.