Huron Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lemoore Reeves Nas. 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 February 24 and the first fall freeze around November 22, a growing season of about 265 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 2, first November 8
- Median at 32°F
- last February 24, first November 22
- Median at 28°F
- last January 20, first December 4
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 23 | Apr 17 | Apr 11 | Apr 7 | Apr 2 | Mar 27 | Mar 19 | Mar 10 | Feb 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Mar 17 | Mar 8 | Mar 1 | Feb 24 | Feb 17 | Feb 10 | Feb 2 | Jan 21 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Feb 13 | Feb 3 | Jan 28 | Jan 20 | Jan 12 | Jan 6 | Dec 30 | Dec 19 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Jan 16 | Jan 9 | Jan 2 | Dec 31 | Dec 26 | Dec 20 | Dec 15 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Jan 16 | Jan 7 | Dec 31 | Dec 30 | Dec 27 | Dec 22 | Dec 19 | Dec 14 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
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 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 28°F | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 16°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
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 | 254 | 240 | 232 | 226 | 219 | 213 | 208 | 201 | 192 |
| 32°F | 308 | 293 | 283 | 274 | 265 | 258 | 250 | 241 | 230 |
| 28°F | 354 | 342 | 334 | 327 | 321 | 312 | 306 | 294 | 281 |
| 24°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 364 | 357 | 349 | 343 | 336 | 328 |
| 20°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 353 |
| 16°F | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 | 365 |
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
- 93% of years
- 24°F or colder
- 56% of years
- 20°F or colder
- 17% of years
- 16°F or colder
- 2% 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
- 2,485
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,778
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 8,434
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 6,705
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 5,150
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 3,817
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 2,697
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 574 | 0 | 24 |
| February | 398 | 0 | 72 |
| March | 279 | 3 | 203 |
| April | 155 | 34 | 331 |
| May | 42 | 157 | 580 |
| June | 4 | 307 | 753 |
| July | 0 | 476 | 941 |
| August | 0 | 431 | 896 |
| September | 6 | 289 | 734 |
| October | 83 | 80 | 462 |
| November | 356 | 2 | 131 |
| December | 589 | 0 | 24 |
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 20 km from Huron. 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 USW00023110 (Lemoore Reeves Nas). Public domain.