King George climate

King George Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Corbin, 18.2 km from King George, elevation 220 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Corbin. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 195 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 6

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

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 4Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
28°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21
24°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 2Dec 9
20°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21Dec 29
16°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20Dec 24Dec 29Jan 2Jan 7Jan 16

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°F190184180175171167163157149
32°F216209203199195191187181171
28°F243235229225220216211206200
24°F273264258252247242237230224
20°F302293286280274269263257248
16°F326318311306300295290283273

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
4,295
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,252
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,627
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,245
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,018
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,944
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,021

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January910013
February743019
March598477
April29429230
May11093450
June13246682
July0375840
August1322786
September42153561
October25727260
November530278
December797123

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 18.2 km from King George. 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 USC00442009 (Corbin). Public domain.