Lincoln climate

Lincoln Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lincoln, 2.3 km from Lincoln, elevation 583 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lincoln. 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 16, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first October 26

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 15May 9May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
32°FMay 4Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
24°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
20°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28
16°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 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 22Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18
32°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
28°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 9
24°FOct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18Nov 24
20°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 12Dec 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°F178172167163159156151146140
32°F199192187183179174170165157
28°F222214208204200196192187178
24°F248239233228223219214208200
20°F274265258253248242236230223
16°F294285279273269263258252243

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
5,624
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,015
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,796
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,580
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,495
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,535
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,704

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20402
February96405
March734246
April38311158
May13288426
June15234669
July2301764
August6243702
September78117491
October35717189
November700138
December1,04904

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 2.3 km from Lincoln. 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 USC00115079 (Lincoln). Public domain.