Kiowa County climate

Kiowa County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eads, 5.7 km from Kiowa County, elevation 4212 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eads. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 21

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°FMay 23May 17May 14May 11May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 12May 7May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 14Mar 8
16°FApr 4Mar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26

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°FSep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 24
28°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10
20°FOct 23Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
16°FOct 30Nov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29

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°F163158154151147144140135129
32°F182176172169165162159154148
28°F200195190187183180176172166
24°F224216211208204200196191184
20°F247238232226221217213207200
16°F267261254249244238233226216

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
5,600
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,044
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,695
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,478
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,415
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,486
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,698

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07401
February89005
March695040
April4432119
May18451350
June23219647
July2355818
August5290750
September84118491
October3908169
November750024
December1,06001

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 5.7 km from Kiowa County. 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 USC00052446 (Eads). Public domain.