Holcomb climate

Holcomb Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Garden City Exp Stn, 15.5 km from Holcomb, elevation 2890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Garden City Exp Stn. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 171 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 17, first October 25

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

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 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
32°FOct 1Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
20°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24
16°FNov 2Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4

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°F171166161158153150146141134
32°F191184179175171168163159151
28°F212205199195191187182177170
24°F231224219215210206201196189
20°F254245238233228224219213205
16°F271263257252247242237230222

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
5,188
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,391
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,323
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,054
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,934
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,957
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,111

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04501
February85808
March660156
April38711160
May14289422
June13292729
July1434897
August3369831
September61171564
October32423227
November686038
December1,00902

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 15.5 km from Holcomb. 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 USC00142980 (Garden City Exp Stn). Public domain.