Schuyler County climate

Schuyler County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rushville, 5.8 km from Schuyler County, elevation 673 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rushville. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 189 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 1

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 14May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
32°FMay 3Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
28°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19
24°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9
20°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 25Feb 17

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 29Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24
32°FOct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 28
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 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°F187181177172167163158153146
32°F208202197193189186181175168
28°F232225220215211207203198191
24°F254246241236231228223217210
20°F272265259254250245241235228
16°F292284278273267262258252245

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
5,791
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
987
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,710
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,505
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,433
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,484
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,664

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24101
February99305
March769143
April4029146
May15369389
June20209639
July2308770
August6258718
September81116487
October35117195
November708037
December1,06504

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 5.8 km from Schuyler County. 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 USC00117551 (Rushville). Public domain.