Webster County climate

Webster County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Webster Springs 8 N, 4.6 km from Webster County, elevation 1850 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Webster Springs 8 N. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 23

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

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

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°F160155149144140137132128121
32°F181175169164160156150145138
28°F204197192188183179174168159
24°F232223218214210206201195186
20°F261252245240235231225220213
16°F288279272266260255248242233

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
5,496
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
547
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,212
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,965
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,869
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,935
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,155

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07205
February87905
March761032
April4315129
May20033311
June50105506
July9178634
August11158612
September9162424
October3766162
November678040
December938010

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 4.6 km from Webster 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 USC00469336 (Webster Springs 8 N). Public domain.