Mullens climate

Mullens Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mullens 3 E, 4.7 km from Mullens, elevation 1564 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mullens 3 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 30

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 20May 14May 9May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 10May 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 19Mar 13
20°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 25
16°FMar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 14Feb 7

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 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4Dec 10
16°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 29

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°F177171167164160157153147140
32°F196191185181178174170166160
28°F218212208203199196192187180
24°F244237232228222218213209201
20°F275267260254249244239233224
16°F307296289283277272266259249

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
4,951
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
827
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,802
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,500
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,357
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,365
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,520

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,00606
February82208
March682044
April3558173
May13956388
June19162593
July2265728
August3228690
September6097488
October33211192
November641037
December89109

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 4.7 km from Mullens. 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 USC00466325 (Mullens 3 E). Public domain.