Americus climate

Americus Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Emporia 3 Nw, 9.4 km from Americus, elevation 1238 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Emporia 3 Nw. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first November 1

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 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
32°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2
28°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
24°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 7
20°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 26
16°FMar 22Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Mar 1Feb 26Feb 21Feb 14

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 28Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 17
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 18

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°F190183177173169165161156150
32°F210203199194190187182176169
28°F231223218214210206202197190
24°F253244238233228224219214207
20°F273265259254248243237231223
16°F293285279275269263257251241

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
5,284
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,235
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,173
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,912
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,786
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,801
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,953

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,12401
February89506
March681253
April37510166
May13674409
June11247685
July1393857
August3343804
September68144529
October31522228
November668145
December1,00904

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 9.4 km from Americus. 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 USC00142548 (Emporia 3 Nw). Public domain.