Cana climate

Cana Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mt Airy 2 W, 10.6 km from Cana, elevation 1080 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mt Airy 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 April 19 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 2, 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 18May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
32°FMay 8May 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 4
28°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 2
20°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 19Feb 9
16°FMar 14Mar 6Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 8Feb 3Jan 30Jan 19

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 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 23Dec 1
20°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9Dec 18
16°FNov 20Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22Dec 27Jan 2Jan 12

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°F184177172169165160156151144
32°F206199195190186182177172164
28°F230223218213210206202196188
24°F260250245240235230225220212
20°F297287279271265259253246237
16°F334323313306300293286276266

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
99% 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
4,412
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
973
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,177
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,804
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,603
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,569
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,692

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January90206
February73608
March605053
April3208180
May11964412
June14194630
July1304769
August2267730
September46121525
October27815228
November573052
December815010

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 10.6 km from Cana. 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 USC00315890 (Mt Airy 2 W). Public domain.