Sheridan climate

Sheridan Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sheridan, 1 km from Sheridan, elevation 250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sheridan. 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 April 1 and the first fall freeze around November 3, a growing season of about 218 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 11, first October 26
Median at 32°F
last April 1, first November 3
Median at 28°F
last March 16, first November 15

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 26Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 25
32°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18Mar 11
28°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
24°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 15Feb 3
20°FMar 10Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20Feb 14Feb 6Jan 31Jan 27Jan 17
16°FMar 3Feb 21Feb 11Feb 4Jan 31Jan 26Jan 19Jan 10Dec 31

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 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
32°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20
28°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
24°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 23
20°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 3Dec 8Dec 17Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 14
16°FDec 4Dec 17Dec 26Jan 1Jan 4Jan 8Jan 14Jan 21Feb 4

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°F219211206202198194189183176
32°F243234228223218213209204197
28°F271262255249245239233226216
24°F302290282276270265258252243
20°F339330319310303297288279267
16°F365362352344336331323310299

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
99% of years
16°F or colder
83% 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
3,255
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,920
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,058
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,527
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,151
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,925
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,846

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January768128
February576251
March40410158
April17048340
May33176608
June1374823
July0496961
August0470935
September13271708
October16165380
November4407120
December689140

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 1 km from Sheridan. 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 USC00036562 (Sheridan). Public domain.