Hempstead County Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hope 3 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 26 and the first fall freeze around November 6, a growing season of about 226 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 7, first October 29
- Median at 32°F
- last March 26, first November 6
- Median at 28°F
- last March 11, first November 17
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 19 | Apr 14 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Apr 1 | Mar 28 | Mar 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 7 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 26 | Mar 23 | Mar 18 | Mar 13 | Mar 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Mar 25 | Mar 20 | Mar 15 | Mar 11 | Mar 7 | Mar 3 | Feb 27 | Feb 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 8 | Mar 4 | Feb 28 | Feb 24 | Feb 19 | Feb 15 | Feb 6 | Jan 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Feb 26 | Feb 18 | Feb 12 | Feb 6 | Feb 1 | Jan 27 | Jan 19 | Jan 8 |
| 16°F | Feb 21 | Feb 11 | Feb 4 | Jan 30 | Jan 24 | Jan 18 | Jan 13 | Jan 5 | Dec 28 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Feb 2 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 226 | 218 | 212 | 207 | 203 | 199 | 195 | 189 | 183 |
| 32°F | 253 | 243 | 236 | 231 | 226 | 221 | 217 | 210 | 203 |
| 28°F | 281 | 272 | 265 | 260 | 254 | 248 | 242 | 236 | 226 |
| 24°F | 317 | 305 | 297 | 290 | 282 | 277 | 270 | 263 | 252 |
| 20°F | 353 | 338 | 331 | 324 | 317 | 310 | 302 | 294 | 281 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 356 | 347 | 340 | 332 | 324 | 311 |
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
- 95% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 74% 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
- 2,952
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 2,040
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 8,411
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 6,834
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 5,402
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 4,119
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 2,998
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 702 | 2 | 40 |
| February | 529 | 3 | 65 |
| March | 362 | 13 | 184 |
| April | 155 | 53 | 357 |
| May | 28 | 188 | 625 |
| June | 1 | 383 | 832 |
| July | 0 | 512 | 976 |
| August | 0 | 496 | 961 |
| September | 11 | 297 | 736 |
| October | 136 | 80 | 417 |
| November | 395 | 12 | 153 |
| December | 634 | 2 | 55 |
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 10.7 km from Hempstead 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 USC00033428 (Hope 3 Ne). Public domain.