Oak Level climate

Oak Level Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Philpott Dam 2, 9.2 km from Oak Level, elevation 1123 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Philpott Dam 2. 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 31, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 14, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 8

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 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
32°FMay 2Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 30
28°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
24°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 27
20°FMar 23Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15Feb 8
16°FMar 12Mar 4Feb 28Feb 19Feb 12Feb 6Feb 1Jan 27Jan 16

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 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
32°FOct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 26
24°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
20°FNov 17Nov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 4
16°FDec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 9Jan 16Jan 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°F197191187182179175171166161
32°F219212208204199195191185179
28°F248239233228225221216211205
24°F279269262256251247241235227
20°F313304296289283277270262252
16°F348334328321314305299292282

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
97% 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
4,076
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,214
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,688
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,264
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,012
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,923
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,990

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January87409
February706011
March567170
April28322229
May9791461
June11248687
July1361825
August1320784
September33150567
October22419276
November516178
December763017

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 9.2 km from Oak Level. 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 USC00446692 (Philpott Dam 2). Public domain.