Homer climate

Homer Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ogden, 8.3 km from Homer, elevation 675 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ogden. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 31

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 16May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18
32°FMay 7May 1Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
24°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 14
20°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 4
16°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23

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 27Oct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 19

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°F180174169165161157153148141
32°F200194189186182178174169160
28°F222215211207203199195190183
24°F246238233229225221216211206
20°F267259254249245241236230223
16°F290281274269264259253248239

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
5,638
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
992
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,754
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,548
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,471
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,518
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,692

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20601
February97303
March765345
April3908151
May15083408
June10214654
July3292755
August4244705
September72126505
October33222209
November699133
December1,03503

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 8.3 km from Homer. 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 USC00116344 (Ogden). Public domain.