Bourbon County climate

Bourbon County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Scott, 13.9 km from Bourbon County, elevation 884 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Scott. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 204 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 5, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 6

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 4Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
32°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
28°FApr 9Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 9
24°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 4Feb 26
20°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14
16°FMar 17Mar 11Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 23Feb 18Feb 11Feb 1

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 5Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 8Nov 16Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16
16°FNov 21Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24Dec 31

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°F204197192187183179175170162
32°F225218213208204199195190184
28°F250242235231226221216211203
24°F274266258253247242236230221
20°F294285278273268263257250241
16°F318308301295289284278271261

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
4,513
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,628
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,018
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,668
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,457
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,376
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,433

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,02405
February784020
March578691
April28328242
May85123505
June6325769
July0476941
August1431896
September39198610
October24738292
November571374
December896012

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 13.9 km from Bourbon 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 USC00142835 (Ft Scott). Public domain.