Benton climate

Benton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wichita Jabara AP, 10.9 km from Benton, elevation 1421 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wichita Jabara AP. 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 10 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 198 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 22, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 30, first November 5

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

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°F198191186181177173168163157
32°F219212207202198194189185178
28°F241233227222218214210204197
24°F263254248243238233228222215
20°F285276270265260254249242235
16°F306299292285280275270264254

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
4,492
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,622
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,015
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,653
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,435
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,360
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,423

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99304
February780017
March566587
April28125238
May87117497
June5321766
July0479944
August1428893
September36205620
October24340295
November582268
December91708

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 10.9 km from Benton. 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 USW00003974 (Wichita Jabara AP). Public domain.