Narrows climate

Narrows Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pearisburg 4 Sse, 12.3 km from Narrows, elevation 1678 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pearisburg 4 Sse. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 26

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 26May 20May 15May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 24
32°FMay 16May 10May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
28°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28
24°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
20°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3Feb 25
16°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17Feb 7

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 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 20Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
20°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 17Dec 24

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°F170164158154150146141136128
32°F193185180176171166162156148
28°F217211206202198193187181172
24°F244236230226221217212206199
20°F274264257251246241236230221
16°F304294285279274267261254245

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
5,119
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
632
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,441
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,155
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,034
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,071
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,268

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00106
February82208
March693040
April3884142
May17634332
June32123542
July5213673
August9178634
September8372441
October3547170
November653138
December90209

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 12.3 km from Narrows. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00448022 (Pearisburg 4 Sse). Public domain.