Inkom climate

Inkom Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pocatello 2 Ne, 16.5 km from Inkom, elevation 4832 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pocatello 2 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 May 16 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 21
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 13

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°FJun 18Jun 14Jun 10Jun 7Jun 5Jun 2May 28May 22May 17
32°FJun 6May 31May 25May 20May 16May 12May 8May 4Apr 30
28°FMay 18May 12May 7May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
24°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12Apr 6Apr 2Mar 25
20°FApr 19Apr 11Apr 5Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 10Mar 3
16°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 17Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 16

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 5Sep 10Sep 14Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 4
32°FSep 14Sep 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
28°FSep 26Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29
24°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5Nov 12
20°FOct 19Oct 25Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24
16°FOct 27Nov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Dec 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F131123116112108103999486
32°F162153148143137132126120111
28°F187180175170165160154149139
24°F220209203198192188182176167
20°F251241233227222216211204195
16°F278270262256250244239232221

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
6,571
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
670
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,601
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,515
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,585
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,809
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,171

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,15300
February94200
March784011
April565155
May31817208
June12081416
July15268717
August20234679
September14566383
October4924105
November849010
December1,16700

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 16.5 km from Inkom. 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 USC00107208 (Pocatello 2 Ne). Public domain.