Nome climate

Nome Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Nome Muni AP, 2 km from Nome, elevation 13 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Nome Muni AP. 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 June 5 and the first fall freeze around September 3, a growing season of about 88 days.

Median at 32°F
last June 5, first September 3
Median at 28°F
last May 23, first September 19

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 26Jun 18Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 3May 31May 27May 20
28°FJun 6Jun 2May 30May 27May 23May 19May 15May 13May 7
24°FMay 28May 22May 17May 14May 11May 8May 6May 4Apr 30
20°FMay 19May 13May 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 23
16°FMay 12May 7May 4May 3May 1Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 16

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°F–––––––––
32°FAug 15Aug 21Aug 26Aug 31Sep 3Sep 6Sep 10Sep 16Sep 22
28°FSep 1Sep 7Sep 11Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 6
24°FSep 14Sep 20Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17
20°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
16°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 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°F787062555145413530
32°F11210498938883787163
28°F14013212712211711210810294
24°F163157151146141138133127120
20°F180173168163159155151146139
16°F193185180177173169165159152

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
13,485
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3
Growing degree days, base 40°F
1,165
Growing degree days, base 45°F
617
Growing degree days, base 50°F
247
Growing degree days, base 55°F
75
Growing degree days, base 60°F
16

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,84100
February1,56700
March1,71700
April1,27100
May86006
June502167
July405299
August459064
September657012
October1,07100
November1,40300
December1,73300

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 2 km from Nome. 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 USW00026617 (Nome Muni AP). Public domain.