Hamburg climate

Hamburg Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sidney 1SSE, 14.7 km from Hamburg, elevation 1140 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sidney 1SSE. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 29

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

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°F181175170166162158153149143
32°F202195190186182178174168161
28°F223216211207203199194189182
24°F242235229224220216211206197
20°F259251246241238232227222215
16°F277269264259254249244239230

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
6,182
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
996
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,593
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,429
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,386
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,460
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,659

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30800
February1,04903
March800239
April4427130
May17062367
June18215646
July2323786
August7261719
September90111474
October37217191
November774028
December1,15001

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 14.7 km from Hamburg. 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 USC00137669 (Sidney 1SSE). Public domain.