Wise County climate

Wise County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wise 1SE, 5.6 km from Wise County, elevation 2564 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wise 1SE. 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 18, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 27

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 23May 18May 15May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 27Apr 21
32°FMay 14May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
28°FMay 1Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 26
24°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14
20°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8Feb 28
16°FMar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 15

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 26Sep 30Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
28°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 18Dec 26

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°F173167162158154150146142134
32°F195189183180175170165159152
28°F219212206202198194187182172
24°F243235229225220216212207200
20°F270260254249243239234228220
16°F297287280273267262256249239

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
4,797
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
587
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,674
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,332
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,149
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,125
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,262

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January97308
February787013
March639162
April3369190
May15037362
June29115536
July6188648
August9157614
September7770445
October3219203
November611054
December860015

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 5.6 km from Wise County. 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 USC00449215 (Wise 1SE). Public domain.