Lincoln climate

Lincoln Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Idaho Falls - Kifi, 3.9 km from Lincoln, elevation 4742 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Idaho Falls - Kifi. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 142 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 30, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 28, 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 16Jun 11Jun 7Jun 3May 30May 24May 19May 16May 10
32°FJun 2May 23May 17May 13May 9May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 11May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 11
24°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 28Mar 20
20°FApr 15Apr 7Apr 2Mar 28Mar 22Mar 16Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4
16°FMar 27Mar 17Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 4Mar 2Feb 27Feb 20

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 4Sep 9Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 29Oct 3
32°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 15
28°FSep 27Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 20
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28

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°F1351281221171131081019587
32°F163155151146142138132126117
28°F189183177173168164158153147
24°F218211206202197191186180173
20°F249241236230225220213207197
16°F272265258253248243237232225

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
7,144
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
443
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,185
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,136
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,241
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,495
Growing degree days, base 60°F
895

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29700
February1,04000
March82604
April569041
May3236187
June12252383
July17195643
August21162606
September17629315
October555061
November92902
December1,27100

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 3.9 km from Lincoln. 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 USC00104455 (Idaho Falls - Kifi). Public domain.