Chanute climate

Chanute Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Chanute Martin Johnson AP, 2.6 km from Chanute, elevation 985 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Chanute Martin Johnson 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 28, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 21, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 10, first October 28
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 4May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 4
32°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30Mar 24
28°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 13
24°FApr 5Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
20°FMar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20
16°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 27Feb 24Feb 19Feb 14Feb 6

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 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
28°FOct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
24°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Dec 2
20°FNov 6Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 21Dec 28

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°F200193188183178175171166158
32°F222213208203199196191186179
28°F243235229224219215211206198
24°F265257251246242237232226216
20°F287278273268263259253246238
16°F312301294289283278273267258

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
4,226
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,710
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,268
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,877
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,628
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,516
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,541

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January96907
February748122
March5257109
April24930264
May71131526
June3339786
July0484949
August1453918
September33216633
October22146315
November541485
December866014

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 2.6 km from Chanute. 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 USW00013981 (Chanute Martin Johnson AP). Public domain.