Barber County climate

Barber County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Medicine Lodge, 13.2 km from Barber County, elevation 1535 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Medicine Lodge. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 191 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 13, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first October 31

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 7May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
32°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
28°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 16
24°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 9Mar 4
20°FMar 30Mar 23Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22
16°FMar 18Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 20Feb 15Feb 9

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°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 15
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
16°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 20

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°F191185181177174169165161154
32°F212205200195191188183179172
28°F232226220215211208202197190
24°F257248243237233228224218209
20°F278270264258252248242235227
16°F303293285279274269265259250

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
4,389
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,820
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,237
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,867
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,649
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,571
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,630

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January95803
February756018
March549493
April27128245
May81142528
June3379826
July0526990
August0465930
September31234653
October24342297
November583162
December91405

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 13.2 km from Barber County. 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 USW00003957 (Medicine Lodge). Public domain.