Butler climate

Butler Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hicksville, 18.4 km from Butler, elevation 750 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hicksville. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 17, first October 30

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 23May 18May 14May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
28°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19
20°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 8
16°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26

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 20Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 19
32°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
20°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16Dec 23

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°F167161155152147144140135127
32°F189182178174170165160155147
28°F213207202198193190185178171
24°F238231225222218214210205199
20°F262254248243239235231225218
16°F287277271267262256251245237

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
6,171
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
797
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,204
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,056
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,043
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,165
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,413

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23800
February1,03902
March859122
April489593
May20054335
June27178602
July5256716
August13206659
September10887432
October38710158
November738024
December1,06802

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 18.4 km from Butler. 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 USC00333722 (Hicksville). Public domain.