Marion climate

Marion Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Marion Junction 2 Ne, 19.7 km from Marion, elevation 200 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Marion Junction 2 Ne. 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 March 19 and the first fall freeze around November 9, a growing season of about 238 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 3, first October 31
Median at 32°F
last March 19, first November 9
Median at 28°F
last March 3, first November 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°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20Mar 13
32°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 4Feb 28
28°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 19Feb 9
24°FMar 13Mar 5Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 13Feb 6Jan 31Jan 21
20°FFeb 28Feb 18Feb 10Feb 4Feb 1Jan 28Jan 21Jan 13Dec 31
16°FFeb 17Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 24Jan 17Jan 9Jan 2Dec 24

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°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
32°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 28
28°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 10
24°FNov 13Nov 20Nov 25Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 17Dec 27Jan 5
20°FNov 26Dec 4Dec 10Dec 19Dec 28Jan 1Jan 6Jan 15Jan 27
16°FDec 7Dec 19Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 18Jan 26Feb 3

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°F237228221217212208203198190
32°F266256249243238232225219209
28°F294285278272266260253247239
24°F331319308301295289281273262
20°F365353340334327321312303292
16°F365365365365356345336330317

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
90% of years
16°F or colder
59% 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
2,352
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,321
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,201
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,539
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,007
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,620
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,387

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January595375
February4295106
March26526263
April10380432
May15254704
June0429879
July0525990
August0508973
September3350796
October92118496
November32418197
December527597

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 19.7 km from Marion. 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 USC00015121 (Marion Junction 2 Ne). Public domain.