Nicholas County climate

Nicholas County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mt Nebo 1 S, 12.4 km from Nicholas County, elevation 1953 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mt Nebo 1 S. 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 May 5 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 154 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 18

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°FJun 1May 28May 24May 21May 17May 13May 8May 4Apr 29
32°FMay 24May 19May 14May 9May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
28°FMay 16May 8May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 7
24°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 30Mar 25
20°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12
16°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 1

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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 17Oct 22
28°FOct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23Dec 1
16°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15

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°F156150145140136132127122115
32°F174168163158154150146139132
28°F198189184179175171166160151
24°F223214210204201196191186178
20°F251242237231225222216210203
16°F277268260254248243238231224

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
5,863
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
480
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,956
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,765
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,720
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,812
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,055

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,12404
February91707
March809031
April4486132
May21028307
June5293491
July12163615
August24136577
September12149383
October4346138
November729027
December98309

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 12.4 km from Nicholas 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 USC00466284 (Mt Nebo 1 S). Public domain.