Redkey climate

Redkey Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Farmland 5 Nnw, 10.6 km from Redkey, elevation 965 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Farmland 5 Nnw. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 27

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 22May 16May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 21
32°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 11
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6
16°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 21

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 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
28°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19Nov 26
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
16°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 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°F171163158155151146141136131
32°F191185181176173169163158151
28°F216208203199195191186181175
24°F242234229223219214210204197
20°F268259252247242237233227220
16°F289281275270265260254247240

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
5,878
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
875
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,496
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,304
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,247
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,319
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,528

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20703
February1,00404
March814134
April4399131
May17270374
June25198622
July5267727
August10217671
September9399459
October37015179
November698138
December1,04005

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 10.6 km from Redkey. 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 USC00122825 (Farmland 5 Nnw). Public domain.