Greensville County climate

Greensville County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Emporia 1 Wnw, 2.5 km from Greensville County, elevation 100 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Emporia 1 Wnw. 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 March 31 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 221 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 31, first November 6
Median at 28°F
last March 20, first November 19

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 1Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31
32°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
28°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Mar 1
24°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12
20°FMar 12Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 14Feb 8Feb 1Jan 22
16°FFeb 27Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Feb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 17Jan 9

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 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9
32°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
28°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
24°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15Dec 24Jan 2
20°FNov 30Dec 7Dec 16Dec 23Dec 28Jan 1Jan 4Jan 9Jan 19
16°FDec 17Dec 27Jan 1Jan 5Jan 8Jan 12Jan 17Jan 22Feb 1

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°F217210205202198194189184177
32°F243236230226221217212208201
28°F272263258252247241236230222
24°F305295288283277272265259250
20°F337326318311306300293287278
16°F365355345337332326319310303

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
87% 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
3,517
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,632
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,524
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,014
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,675
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,502
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,489

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January781023
February635126
March4995102
April22537282
May65134535
June5317762
July0451916
August0405870
September15229664
October17448348
November4414111
December678137

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 2.5 km from Greensville County. 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 USC00442790 (Emporia 1 Wnw). Public domain.