Howard climate

Howard Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Howard, 0.8 km from Howard, elevation 1010 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Howard. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 4, first November 1

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

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 27Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
24°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
16°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18

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°F186179174170167162158154147
32°F207200195191186182178173165
28°F227220215210206201197192184
24°F251241236231226222217212203
20°F272264257252247242236230223
16°F296287280274269264257251242

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
4,737
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,436
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,668
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,345
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,164
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,120
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,211

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03204
February815013
March609373
April30819213
May10398464
June6278721
July0433897
August1395859
September45178584
October26731269
November611259
December94107

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 0.8 km from Howard. 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 USC00143822 (Howard). Public domain.