Desha County climate

Desha County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rohwer 2 Nne, 3.3 km from Desha County, elevation 150 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rohwer 2 Nne. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around November 14, a growing season of about 247 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 26, first November 1
Median at 32°F
last March 12, first November 14
Median at 28°F
last February 28, first November 28

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 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13Mar 6
32°FMar 31Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 21
28°FMar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 11Feb 2
24°FMar 9Mar 2Feb 24Feb 17Feb 11Feb 3Jan 30Jan 23Jan 13
20°FFeb 27Feb 13Feb 5Jan 31Jan 28Jan 22Jan 16Jan 9Dec 31
16°FFeb 13Feb 3Jan 31Jan 25Jan 20Jan 14Jan 8Jan 3Dec 27

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 18Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 19
32°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28Dec 3
28°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 22
24°FNov 18Nov 27Dec 2Dec 8Dec 15Dec 23Dec 29Jan 3Jan 12
20°FDec 2Dec 16Dec 25Dec 31Jan 2Jan 7Jan 12Jan 18Jan 30
16°FDec 16Dec 30Jan 2Jan 5Jan 8Jan 14Jan 19Jan 27Feb 5

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°F246238232226222218213207200
32°F275266259252247242237230222
28°F306295288282277271264256245
24°F343333323315307302294286275
20°F365364355346339334327318306
16°F365365365365365363351340329

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
80% of years
16°F or colder
44% 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
2,859
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,132
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,607
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,016
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,566
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,264
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,118

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January703142
February524269
March35015197
April13470394
May21230674
June0416865
July0507972
August0477942
September10306745
October12894439
November37313166
December615261

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 3.3 km from Desha 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 USC00036253 (Rohwer 2 Nne). Public domain.