Hampden Sydney climate

Hampden Sydney Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Farmville 2 N, 11.4 km from Hampden Sydney, elevation 450 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Farmville 2 N. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 20
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 5

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 11May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11
32°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29
28°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15
24°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7Feb 28
20°FMar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 13
16°FMar 14Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16Feb 11Feb 4Jan 28

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 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
32°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21
24°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
20°FNov 14Nov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 21Jan 1
16°FNov 30Dec 5Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 17

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°F196190186181178174170165158
32°F217211207203199194190185176
28°F244235230225222218214209204
24°F272262256251246241236231223
20°F305295286280273268261254246
16°F333322314307303297290282270

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
4,159
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,341
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,783
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,378
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,138
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,053
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,122

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January879013
February725018
March584376
April29225223
May99100468
June10262702
July0400865
August1348812
September34170587
October24030275
November525276
December771124

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 11.4 km from Hampden Sydney. 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 USC00442941 (Farmville 2 N). Public domain.