Sophia climate

Sophia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Beckley Va Hospital, 8 km from Sophia, elevation 2330 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Beckley Va Hospital. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 156 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 20

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 18May 14May 10May 6May 1
32°FMay 23May 18May 14May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22
28°FMay 15May 8May 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 9
24°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26
20°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 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 18Sep 23Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 27
16°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 10

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°F156149145141138133129124117
32°F177170164161156152148142136
28°F197190185181176172167162155
24°F222215210205202198191186177
20°F247239234230225221217211205
16°F276265258254248244238233225

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
5,904
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
351
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,739
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,541
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,502
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,612
Growing degree days, base 60°F
884

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10204
February92304
March803025
April4632111
May22517278
June6164454
July18130577
August27100538
September13435356
October4393124
November728026
December98307

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 8 km from Sophia. 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 USC00460580 (Beckley Va Hospital). Public domain.