Bucklin climate

Bucklin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Greensburg, 29.9 km from Bucklin, elevation 2243 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Greensburg. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 11, 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 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 25
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19Mar 13
20°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 2
16°FMar 30Mar 21Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19

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 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 6Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 22Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13

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°F182177173169166162158152145
32°F200195191187183180176172166
28°F222214209205201198193189182
24°F242234229224219214210205198
20°F263255249243238234228223215
16°F284276270263259254249241233

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
5,081
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,390
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,397
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,113
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,976
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,982
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,122

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04602
February84809
March654260
April37013174
May13591429
June13271708
July2437900
August3376838
September58173569
October30526239
November662145
December98603

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 29.9 km from Bucklin. 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 USC00143239 (Greensburg). Public domain.