Chase County climate

Chase County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cottonwood Falls, 8.6 km from Chase County, elevation 1232 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cottonwood Falls. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 7, 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 10May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 14
32°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 3
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24
24°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 12
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Mar 1
16°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20

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 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21
32°FOct 1Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
28°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
24°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21
20°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
16°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 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°F181175171166162158154149143
32°F200194189185180176173168161
28°F221213208204200196191186180
24°F241234228223218214210205197
20°F263254249244238234228221212
16°F284276269264259254248242232

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
5,116
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,380
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,426
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,146
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,005
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,000
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,126

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,09901
February87409
March658362
April34517190
May11792445
June8271712
July1424888
August2376838
September59169561
October30328244
November651150
December1,00004

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 8.6 km from Chase 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 USC00141858 (Cottonwood Falls). Public domain.