Introduction
Growing season is defined as the number of days without an air temperature of 32°F or lower. The standard deviation is an important statistic to consider along with the average date. The standard deviation tells the amount of dispersion around the average. The average growing season length plus and minus one standard deviation gives the range of growing season length into which 68% of all observed growing seasons will fall. For example, the average growing season in Albemarle is 200 days (Table 1). Further, 68% of all the growing seasons will be from 187 to 213 days long (200 minus 13 and 200 plus 13).
Below the growing season data are listed by Station Name (Table 1) and by County (Table 2).
There are several published references for North Carolina climate data. These references are available from the North Carolina State University Department of Communication Services, Publications, Box 7603, Raleigh, NC 27695-7603; (919) 515-2861.
- Weather and Climate in North Carolina AG-375 ($2.50)
- Probabilities of Dry Periods in North Carolina AG-411 ($2.00)
- Risk of Frost and Freeze Damage for North Carolina Fruit Crops AG-403 (free)
- Low-Temperature Probability Data for North Carolina AG-403S ($3.00)
- Growing Degree Days in North Carolina AG-236 ($3.00)
Table 1. Average length of growing season for selected North Carolina stations (1951-1980)
Station Name | County | Average Date | Standard Deviation (days) |
---|---|---|---|
Albemarle 4 N | Stanly | 200 | 13 |
Andrews 2 E | Cherokee | 159 | 17 |
Asheboro 2 W | Randolph | 209 | 18 |
Asheville | Buncombe | 197 | 13 |
Banner Elk | Avery | 143 | 18 |
Bent Creek | Buncombe | 157 | 14 |
Black Mountain | Buncombe | 173 | 17 |
Blowing Rock | Watauga | 162 | 15 |
Brevard | Transylvania | 158 | 13 |
Burlington | Alamance | 214 | 17 |
Canton 1 SW | Haywood | 159 | 14 |
Celo 2 S | Yancey | 132 | 23 |
Chapel Hill 2 W | Orange | 190 | 14 |
Charlotte WSO AP | Mecklenburg | 213 | 27 |
Clinton | Sampson | 208 | 27 |
Concord | Cabarrus | 214 | 18 |
Coweeta Exp Station | Macon | 154 | 14 |
Cullowhee | Jackson | 161 | 14 |
Durham | Durham | 194 | 14 |
Edenton | Chowan | 233 | 17 |
Elizabeth City FAA AP | Pasquotank | 222 | 17 |
Enka | Buncombe | 182 | 18 |
Fayetteville | Cumberland | 213 | 17 |
Franklin 1 SSW | Macon | 161 | 14 |
Gastonia | Gaston | 208 | 22 |
Goldsboro 1 SSW | Wayne | 216 | 16 |
Greensboro Pump Station | Guilford | 205 | 15 |
Greensboro WSO AP | Guilford | 199 | 10 |
Greenville | Pitt | 212 | 16 |
Hamlet | Richmond | 199 | 14 |
Hatteras | Dare | 282 | 28 |
Henderson 2 NNW | Vance | 185 | 17 |
Hendersonville 1 NE | Henderson | 169 | 15 |
Hickory | Burke | 206 | 16 |
Highlands 2 S | Macon | 180 | 19 |
High Point | Guilford | 210 | 17 |
Hot Springs 2 | Madison | 183 | 15 |
Jackson | Northampton | 198 | 12 |
Kinston 5 E | Lenoir | 214 | 21 |
Laurinburg | Scotland | 217 | 17 |
Lenoir | Caldwell | 188 | 15 |
Lexington | Davidson | 214 | 19 |
Lumberton 6 NW | Robeson | 207 | 21 |
Marion | McDowell | 205 | 14 |
Marshall | Madison | 168 | 16 |
Maysville 6 W | Jones | 186 | 17 |
Monroe 4 SE | Union | 196 | 16 |
Morehead City 2 WNW | Carteret | 245 | 24 |
Morganton | Burke | 180 | 17 |
Mount Airy | Surry | 176 | 11 |
Nashville | Nash | 210 | 17 |
New Bern FAA AP | Craven | 232 | 18 |
New Holland | Hyde | 226 | 18 |
Oxford 2 SW | Granville | 206 | 17 |
Pisgah Forest 1 N | Transvylvania | 161 | 14 |
Plymouth 5 E | Washington | 195 | 15 |
Raleigh-Durham WSO AP | Wake | 199 | 17 |
Raleigh 4 SW | Wake | 213 | 20 |
Raleigh NCSU | Wake | 220 | 19 |
Reidsville 2 NW | Rockingham | 203 | 15 |
Rocky Mount 8 ESE | Edgecombe | 203 | 19 |
Rowan Research Station | Rowan | 185 | 13 |
Salisbury | Rowan | 201 | 16 |
Sanford 8 NE | Lee | 186 | 16 |
Shelby 2 NNE | Cleveland | 196 | 14 |
Siler City 2 NW | Chatham | 172 | 17 |
Smithfield | Johnston | 201 | 15 |
Southport 5 N | Brunswick | 238 | 24 |
Statesville 2 NNE | Iredell | 179 | 22 |
Tarboro 1 S | Edgecombe | 206 | 19 |
Transou | Ashe | 139 | 16 |
Tryon | Polk | 208 | 19 |
Wadesboro | Anson | 221 | 18 |
Waterville 2 | Haywood | 199 | 21 |
Waynesville 1 E | Haywood | 155 | 15 |
Whiteville 7 NW | Columbus | 212 | 21 |
Willard 4 SW | Pender | 212 | 20 |
Williamston 1 ENE | Martin | 219 | 19 |
Wilmington 7 N | New Hanover | 210 | 20 |
Wilmington WSO AP | New Hanover | 242 | 16 |
Wilson 3 SW | Wilson | 210 | 15 |
Table 1. Average length of growing season for selected North Carolina counties (1951-1980)
County | Station Name | Average Date | Standard Deviation (days) |
---|---|---|---|
Alamance | Burlington | 214 | 17 |
Anson | Wadesboro | 221 | 18 |
Ashe | Transou | 139 | 16 |
Avery | Banner Elk | 143 | 18 |
Brunswick | Southport 5 N | 238 | 24 |
Buncombe | Asheville | 197 | 13 |
. | Black Mountain | 173 | 17 |
. | Bent Creek | 157 | 14 |
. | Enka | 182 | 18 |
Burke | Morganton | 180 | 17 |
. | Hickory | 206 | 16 |
Cabarrus | Concord | 214 | 18 |
Caldwell | Lenoir | 188 | 15 |
Carteret | Morehead City 2 WNW | 245 | 24 |
Chatham | Siler City 2 NW | 172 | 17 |
Cherokee | Andrews 2 E | 159 | 17 |
Chowan | Edenton | 233 | 17 |
Cleveland | Shelby 2 NNE | 196 | 14 |
Columbus | Whiteville 7 NW | 212 | 21 |
Craven | New Bern FAA AP | 232 | 18 |
Cumberland | Fayetteville | 213 | 17 |
Dare | Hatteras | 282 | 28 |
Davidson | Lexington | 214 | 19 |
Durham | Durham | 194 | 14 |
Edgecombe | Rocky Mount 8 ESE | 203 | 19 |
. | Tarboro 1 S | 206 | 19 |
Gaston | Gastonia | 208 | 22 |
Granville | Oxford 2 SW | 206 | 17 |
Guilford | High Point | 210 | 17 |
. | Greensboro Pump Station | 205 | 15 |
. | Greensboro WSO AP | 199 | 10 |
Haywood | Canton 1 SW | 159 | 14 |
. | Waynesville 1 E | 155 | 15 |
. | Waterville 2 | 199 | 21 |
Henderson | Hendersonville 1 NE | 169 | 15 |
Hyde | New Holland | 226 | 18 |
Iredell | Statesville 2 NNE | 179 | 22 |
Jackson | Cullowhee | 161 | 14 |
Johnston | Smithfield | 201 | 15 |
Jones | Maysville 6 W | 186 | 17 |
Lee | Sanford 8 NE | 186 | 16 |
Lenoir | Kinston 5 E | 214 | 21 |
Macon | Coweeta Exp Station | 154 | 14 |
. | Highlands 2 S | 180 | 19 |
. | Franklin 1 SSW | 161 | 14 |
Madison | Marshall | 168 | 16 |
. | Hot Springs 2 | 183 | 15 |
Martin | Williamston 1 ENE | 219 | 19 |
McDowell | Marion | 205 | 14 |
Mecklenburg | Charlotte WSO AP | 213 | 27 |
Nash | Nashville | 210 | 17 |
New Hanover | Wilmington WSO AP | 242 | 16 |
. | Wilmington 7 N | 210 | 20 |
Northampton | Jackson | 198 | 12 |
Orange | Chapel Hill 2 W | 190 | 14 |
Pasquotank | Elizabeth City FAA AP | 222 | 17 |
Pender | Willard 4 SW | 212 | 20 |
Pitt | Greenville | 212 | 16 |
Polk | Tryon | 208 | 19 |
Randolph | Asheboro 2 W | 209 | 18 |
Richmond | Hamlet | 199 | 14 |
Robeson | Lumberton 6 NW | 207 | 21 |
Rockingham | Reidsville 2 NW | 203 | 15 |
Rowan | Salisbury | 201 | 16 |
. | Rowan Research Station | 185 | 13 |
Sampson | Clinton | 208 | 27 |
Scotland | Laurinburg | 217 | 17 |
Stanly | Albemarle 4 N | 200 | 13 |
Surry | Mount Airy | 176 | 11 |
Transvylvania | Pisgah Forest 1 N | 161 | 14 |
. | Brevard | 158 | 13 |
Union | Monroe 4 SE | 196 | 16 |
Vance | Henderson 2 NNW | 185 | 17 |
Wake | Raleigh NCSU | 220 | 19 |
. | Raleigh 4 SW | 213 | 20 |
. | Raleigh-Durham WSO AP | 199 | 17 |
Washington | Plymouth 5 E | 195 | 15 |
Watauga | Blowing Rock | 162 | 15 |
Wayne | Goldsboro 1 SSW | 216 | 16 |
Wilson | Wilson 3 SW | 210 | 15 |
Yancey | Celo 2 S | 132 | 23 |
Publication date: Dec. 31, 1996
North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation.