Hardy County climate

Hardy County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moorefield 1 Sse, 10.3 km from Hardy County, elevation 890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moorefield 1 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 167 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 17, 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 25May 20May 17May 13May 10May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 24
32°FMay 17May 10May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16
28°FMay 5Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
20°FApr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7
16°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22

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 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
32°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5
24°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
20°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 26Dec 3
16°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 19

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°F167161156153149146141136128
32°F188181176172167163159154147
28°F207202197193189185180175167
24°F232224219215211208204199193
20°F259249242238233228224218212
16°F288278269263258252247240231

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
5,222
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
894
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,718
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,464
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,353
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,386
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,566

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04605
February86207
March730139
April3929152
May15559375
June24184610
July2285749
August4245707
September7198478
October33412189
November663036
December93908

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 10.3 km from Hardy 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 USC00466163 (Moorefield 1 Sse). Public domain.