Burrton climate

Burrton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hutchinson Muni AP, 17.3 km from Burrton, elevation 1543 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hutchinson Muni 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 27

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

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°F179173169165161158154149143
32°F200193188184180175171167159
28°F221214209204200196192186180
24°F244235229225220215212206199
20°F266258251246242237232226217
16°F287278272267263257252245237

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
4,812
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,607
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,788
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,475
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,307
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,276
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,378

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03402
February820012
March600375
April31720208
May101118485
June6336780
July1481945
August1416880
September48196600
October27935266
November634151
December97204

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 17.3 km from Burrton. 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 USW00013986 (Hutchinson Muni AP). Public domain.