Cresco climate

Cresco Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cresco 1 Ne, 1.9 km from Cresco, elevation 1255 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cresco 1 Ne. 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 May 8 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 17, first September 24
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 11

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 29May 25May 22May 20May 17May 14May 12May 8May 3
32°FMay 21May 17May 14May 10May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
28°FMay 13May 7May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 13
24°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
20°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 23
16°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13

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 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14
28°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24
24°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
20°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
16°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25

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°F147140136132128124120116110
32°F163158154150147142138134127
28°F187179173169165162157152145
24°F207201195191186183179174166
20°F229221216213208205200195187
16°F249242235230227223218214208

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
7,839
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
590
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,485
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,470
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,568
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,782
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,117

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55100
February1,29800
March1,040012
April603360
May27032260
June50134534
July12210663
August27149587
September17156347
October536694
November935010
December1,34700

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 1.9 km from Cresco. 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 USC00131954 (Cresco 1 Ne). Public domain.