Pulaski climate

Pulaski Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pulaski 2 E, 0.9 km from Pulaski, elevation 2080 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pulaski 2 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 28

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 18May 14May 10May 6May 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 15May 7May 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 9
28°FApr 30Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11
20°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 7Mar 2Feb 23
16°FMar 22Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12Feb 3

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 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4Dec 12
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 21Jan 1

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°F173167161158154149145139133
32°F197189183179175171165161155
28°F219213208204200196190185176
24°F246239233228224220216210205
20°F278268261256251245240234227
16°F310300292285279272266259251

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
5,079
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
663
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,489
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,195
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,070
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,108
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,303

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January98605
February81608
March696040
April3886147
May17140343
June31132551
July5222682
August10183639
September8873437
October3558170
November639038
December894010

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 0.9 km from Pulaski. 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 USC00446955 (Pulaski 2 E). Public domain.