Luray climate

Luray Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Luray 5 E, 7.5 km from Luray, elevation 1400 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Luray 5 E. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first October 31

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 24May 20May 16May 11May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 15May 6May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 7
28°FApr 29Apr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27
24°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
20°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3Feb 26
16°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 13

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°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 15Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 30
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 17
16°FNov 19Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 22Dec 27Jan 4

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°F175169164160155151147141135
32°F200194188183179173168162154
28°F226219213208204200195189181
24°F255246240235231226221215208
20°F284274267261256250245238229
16°F309299293287281275269262252

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
4,825
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
856
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,893
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,573
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,406
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,397
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,546

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98709
February798012
March677150
April35113178
May14958379
June26165589
July2272735
August6228687
September69102484
October31517208
November590157
December856018

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 7.5 km from Luray. 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 USC00445096 (Luray 5 E). Public domain.