Kingsley climate

Kingsley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Le Mars, 26 km from Kingsley, elevation 1195 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Le Mars. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 9, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 16

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 18May 15May 12May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
28°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5
24°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
20°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21Mar 17
16°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8

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

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°F157151147143139135132128121
32°F175169165161157153150145138
28°F197191186182178174169165157
24°F216210205201197194189184177
20°F235228222218214210206201193
16°F253246241236230226222216210

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
7,312
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
756
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,903
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,838
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,887
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,051
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,339

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,47900
February1,21001
March946117
April543585
May22550313
June32176594
July6257716
August17188635
September14273389
October4828123
November912013
December1,31900

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 26 km from Kingsley. 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 USC00134735 (Le Mars). Public domain.