Prince George County climate

Prince George County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Disputanta, 8.5 km from Prince George County, elevation 130 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Disputanta. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 206 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 20, first October 24
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 12

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 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 7
32°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
28°FApr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
24°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 14Feb 4
16°FMar 9Mar 2Feb 26Feb 18Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 25Jan 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 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
32°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
28°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
24°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 16
20°FNov 23Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 11Dec 18Dec 24Jan 1Jan 6
16°FDec 7Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 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°F202196191188185182178174167
32°F224217214210206203199194188
28°F252244238233229225221216209
24°F282271265261256251246240233
20°F315305299292287281275267258
16°F348336330322315308303296285

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
3,931
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,431
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,052
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,620
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,343
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,216
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,245

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January854017
February691030
March554491
April25732254
May79107494
June5278723
July0422886
August0360825
September24186612
October22039301
November502280
December744031

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 8.5 km from Prince George County. 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 USC00442400 (Disputanta). Public domain.